Today we had an easy start, with our first activity starting at 1pm. We made the most of our morning by sleeping in and then heading to see the cubic houses. On our way, we encountered street graffiti, parks, and art installations that make Rotterdam feel vibrant. Seeing the cubic houses up close was strange; the complex is made up of sideways cubes connected to each other. We paid two euros to see the inside of a cube and I was surprised by how much space there was inside. There were three floors and enough room for at least two people to live comfortably, plus some cool views of the streets below. On the walk back, we enjoyed the tree lined streets that are home to multiple modes of transportation.
Our main activity today was a trip to the Watersnoodmuseum, which is about an hour drive from Rotterdam. The ride was beautiful, with grazing lifestock and spinning wind turbines along the way. When we arrived at the museum, we were introduced to the tragic flood of 1953, which impacted much of the Netherlands and killed thousands of people. The museum was dedicated to paying homage to the victims of the flood and serving as a reminder of the importance of water management.
In the past week, I was surprised I didn’t hear more about flooding risks in the country. Before the trip, I knew that the Netherlands was below sea level and faced many challenges in regard to water regulation. Now, as climate change is worsening, rising sea levels once again put the Netherlands at risk to experiencing flooding that could prove fatal to coastal communities. I think this museum serves as a powerful reminder to prepare for these threats before they become imminent. But it is difficult to get lawmakers to want to act on water regulation preemptively, especially because the Netherlands hasn’t seen major flooding in recent years. Also, building water infrastructure requires a lot of resources; it also faces criticisms from the fishing industry, which remains essential to the Netherlands’ economy.
Sunday 5/18/2025