Today we started by visiting the Dakakker, a farm located on an urban rooftop. This farm was made to manage rainwater by capturing it through the soil and releasing it with smart sensors. This system works by tracking the weather and emptying stored water before heavy rainfall comes. This prevents the sewer system from being overwhelmed and possibly overflowing. The plants can hold up to 120 liters of water per square meter with the farm being 1000 square meters. The farm includes vegatables, fruits, edible flowers, honey bees, and chickens, promoting green space and biodiversity. The produce is sold to local restaurants and food initiatives, shrinking carbon emissions that would’ve happened during travel from further sources. It also has a compost bin for any waste the farm produces, creating a circular life cycle. Overall, this farm protects the local infrastructure that could’ve been harmed from rainfall while lowering carbon emission.

After our tour of Dakakker, we visited the Watersnoodmuseum which reflects on the history and impact of the North Sea flood. This was a very devastating event in Dutch history that wasn’t talked about much as the second world war had just happened and they had to rebuild. It was so bad that the severe trauma and governmental failures was mentioned 40 years after the flood occured in the 1993 remembrance. The museum was made to reflect deeper on the trauma this caused, allowing survivors to share their true stories for future generations.

Towards the end of the museum, they reflected on world water disastors and how climate change will impact the strength of the water. The Dutch’s culture is rooted in fighting the sea, but this new era of rising sea levels will impact everyone. It allowed the audience to reflect on what we would do in a water crisis. Would we come together with others to innovate, would we be vulnurable on our trauma, and would we learn from our mistakes? The museum was very impactful and eye opening on the realities of natural disastors.