Dredging Up Something New

Abstract

The Dutch Delta region has a rich history deeply intertwined with water, which has shaped its cultural identity. However, a growing separation between heritage preservation and watermanagement, coupled with the challenges of climate change and rapid urbanization, presents a critical problem. It not only threatens the relationship between people and water but also affects the preservation of both watermanagement and maritime heritage, weakening regional identity. In addition, this separation also causes heritage to be left out of discussions about delta planning, hindering the exploration of water’s potential to link watermanagement and maritime heritage sites and connect the past to the present. This problem raises a fundamental question:
‘How can adaptation, preservation, and reuse of the uiterwaarden reactivate and strengthen the relationship between people and the water of the Dutch Delta?’
The key to addressing this question lies in understanding the historical and cultural significance of water to the inhabitants of the Dutch delta, and how it has shaped the uiterwaarden. The uiterwaarden in urbanized areas acts at present as a physical barrier between people and water due to their assigned industrial and watermanagement functions. However, in the face of a changing industrial landscape, the connection these sites have to water and to history might also give them the potential to connect people to water again. Thus, strengthening regional identity and preserving both watermanagement- and maritime heritage.