My birthday began bright and early as we took an hour-long bus ride to Delta Park Neeltje Jans, where we met with experts in the area of flood control. Delta Park Neeltje Jans allows visitors to relive and learn about the history of floods in the Netherlands. The flood of 1953 (as I mentioned in my previous post) was the main driving force for the creation of the Delta Works. The Dutch were determined to make sure nothing like this would happen again. The Delta Works were a series of construction projects in the southwest Netherlands to protect areas of land from the water. Without human intervention, nearly half of the Netherlands would lie underwater at normal sea level- making Delta Works crucial for the survival and long-term safety of the Netherlands.

At the park, we began by watching a short video about informing us about the construction process and history of the Delta Works. Following the video, we had a quick lunch before heading out on a walking tour. The Delta Works took around 30 years to complete and cost 9 billion euros at the time (equivalent to roughly 65-70 billion euros today). The project began by compacting the seabed using vibrations and placing a special geotextile mattress to provide a stable foundation. Massive concrete pillars were prefabricated on land, then floated out and sunk onto the mattresses. Despite not having GPS and relying only on land markings and the starts, the most they deviated from the intended position was just 5 cm! After the placement of the foundation pillars, the gates were added, along with the roads on top. 

After the informative walking tour, we had time explore the park on our own. We visited several attractions, including the aquarium, were we watched the staff feed sharks and a boat ride. We also watched the Delta Experience, an immersive exhibit that placed us into the shoes of a young girl who experienced the devastating flood of 1953. We also enjoyed some fun outdoors activities like riding water slides, jumping on trampolines, and, of course, getting ice cream!

While the process of creating the Delta Works was not entirely sustainable, in my opinion, there were still efforts made to incorporate sustainability. For example, the original plan was to create a full dam, but due to protests in the 1960s, plans changed. The public was concerned with the loss of biodiversity and fishing grounds. Plans then switched to a storm surge barrier with movable gates that were to stay open and only close if a dangerous storm arises. The open flow of water was a step towards sustainability. With the gate system, the tide continued to flow naturally, preserving marine life, oyster farming, and ecological balance.   

After exploring the Delta Works, we headed back home to enjoy a delicious dinner followed by a fun karaoke session. It was a perfect way to end the day. This will truly be an unforgettable birthday!