"Sea Level Rise Now" News Digest

Article Synopsis – The Dutch, with twenty-six percent of their country below sea level, have been outsmarting the water that’s everywhere around them for a thousand years. Learning to accommodate water has led to innovation. For instance, a massive storm surge barrier called the Maeslantkering was completed in 1997, to protect Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port. It’s equal in size to two Eiffel Towers, on their sides. The Netherlands considers itself protected against a 10,000-year storm. Unlike in the U.S., the Dutch focus on prevention, not response to disasters. My Comments: While the Dutch deserve lots of credit for water expertise, this adoring article glosses over some issues. For example, the Maeslantkering gates at Rotterdam were designed for a one in ten thousand year storm, as cited, but were not built high enough to allow for current sea level projections. Even the higher sea level projections mentioned in the Dutch part of the story, are inadequate compared to the more current projections of six feet, cited in the Miami section. Also the story about the farmers and the “room for the river” to overflow its banks only applies to riverine situations and has no application in coastal situations such as Miami.  To read the actual article click here.