A quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level. The Dutch polders, artificial land gained on water since the end of the 16th century, now represent more than 17% of the country’s surface, with dikes up to 12 m high.

 

The University of Utrecht forecasts that the sea level will rise by 1.3 m on the Dutch coastline by 2100 due to climate change. Extreme weather events (heavy rains, hailstorms ...) are also expected to become more frequent. The Dutch were traumatized by the memory of the deadly floods of 1953, when the North Sea swamped Zealand to engulf 5% of the country and caused 1,800 casualties. Between 1957 and 1986, the Netherlands undertook a "Delta Plan" of immense public works, mainly to protect itself from the storms coming from the sea.

 

But climate change now raises other questions. Due to the rising sea level, large rivers (Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt ...) that cross the south of this flat country struggle to reach the coast. The flood risk now comes from the inside, all the more since the fluvial waters are swollen by more intense rainfall. 9 million Dutch people - more than half the population - now live in flood-prone areas, where 70% of the economy is also concentrated.

 

The Netherlands has its share of responsibility for climate change: every Dutch person emits almost 10 tons of greenhouse gases per year, one and a half time more than the European average. But pollution linked to a gigantic petrochemical sector and very intensive agriculture lead citizens to react. In June 2015, following an action brought by the environmental NGO Urgenda, the Dutch court ordered the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the country by at least 25% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. This decision was upheld on appeal in October 2018.