Low polders and high waters: Dealing with uncertainties of climate change in future polder management

It is no secret that the climate is changing, however, the severity and speed of this process is under debate. This leads to the question if and when we need to take action to protect the Netherlands against the effects of climate change. In order to deal with the uncertainties in policy- and decision-making, an adaptive approach is desirable....

Climate Resilient Estate Landscape in Baakse Beek: Towards a landscape architecture approach for water management, ecology, and spatial experience

The Netherlands has a long and fascinating history with water to keep its land safe and dry. Recently, when the country is exposed to a changing climate, it is at the turning point to shift from defensive water control to adaptive and integrated management. Landscape design has a role to play in endowing water and water management with new...

Waterproof Gouda: The creation of new spatial pathways to connect climate sustainability with monumental preservation

Gouda is one of several cities in the west of the Netherlands which still have a traditional medieval core, built on the long stretches of subsiding peat ground. The effects of subsidence, combined with the removal of surface water in the last century, are now further exacerbated by the increasing threat of climate change, which results in a...