Today we visited the Delta Works, a series of water-management construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands. They are one of the world’s most famous flood-protection systems. 

The Delta Works center had a museum for visitors to learn about the history and significance of the projects, as well as a nice campus with some fun attractions for visitors. Through a  short film and guided  tour we learned about the history of the delta works, the impressive complexity of their construction, and their current significance. Before the mid 20th century, The Netherlands relied on dikes, polders, and windmills to mitigate flood control and keep water out of towns. This changed with the North Sea flood of 1953, which killed over 1,800 Dutch citizens, as well as displaced entire towns and decimated thousands of farms. The severity of this event was a wake-up call to Dutch infrastructure that they would have to technologically advance, and quickly,  in order to combat climate change. This launched the Delta plan, a national program instituted in 1954 to strengthen the coastline in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt region. 

A pivotal point in construction occurred with the Oosterschelde estuary when fisherman and environmental groups opposed sealing the river due to its effect on tidal ecosystems. As a result, the Dutch engineered the first movable storm-surge barrier that is only closed during severe conditions. This was a significant technological innovation for sustainable water-management engineering worldwide. As engineers, it was really interesting for us to learn how the Delta Works project established the Netherlands as the global leader of climate adaptation engineering. 

After the tour, we took a ferry boat ride around Oosterschelde and were able to get a better look at the hydraulic dam, as well as observe some offshore wind farms. It further emphasized the Dutch’s impressive achievements in offshore engineering. 

As we spent the whole day on the Delta Works campus, we were able to experience an aquarium, some fun waterslides, and a bounce pad. We also were able to have some delicious traditional dutch cinnamon twists rolls.