Dutch Lessons on Managing Rising Water Due to Warming

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson led a delegation of federal and Louisiana officials to the Netherlands, to learn how the Dutch manage their water.

More than half of the Netherlands is below sea level, where 60 percent of citizens live and where 65 percent of its gross national product is produced, according to the New York Times. This makes the country extremely vulnerable to both sea-level rise and river flooding.

“We came here to learn about what the Dutch have been doing for many years to protect their people from the ravages of flooding and how their system not only seems to protect people from flooding, but also has contributed to a high quality of life,” explained Landrieu during a press conference.

“It’s not that we believe that the sea level will rise by 2 meters, but we do need to make sure we take the necessary measures,” professor Louise Fresco told the American delegation.