US learns from Dutch flood dykes

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It is not a normal part of American mentality to seek advice, knowledge or help from other countries (or at least admit that), so this is a bit of news. And then this article comes from the UK news source.

In the aftermath of Katrina, the Dutch sent people to help with pumping out the flood waters with their much higher capacity pumps, as well as help provide immediate aid per ship, which was not readily accepted. This received minimum news coverage.

While the Netherlands is the leading country in water management (not just flood control), there is one element I suspect is missing here on the part of the U.S. federal government: The wish to protect its own people and quality of life. The delegation seems to me to be aimed primarily at economics/business, which is also a part of water management. But the will to do what is best for its own people is one thing I see missing in this, and so many other things.

US learns from Dutch flood dykes

A US delegation is in the Netherlands to study the flood control systems protecting a country that lies further below sea level than New Orleans.

The 50-member delegation includes the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, US senators and business leaders.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the US is looking to learn from the experience of the Netherlands. Water management experts will be showing the US visitors its massive system of dams and sea walls.

In the flood of 1953, 2,000 people died in the Netherlands.

Complex measures The Delta Project, with twin gates the size of the Eiffel Tower, can seal the mouth of Rotterdam Harbour in case of a sea surge.

But the government admits, that no matter what you do to prepare, something can always go wrong. "You can never say a 100%," says Annelie Kohl, a spokesperson for the water ministry. "That doesn't exist anywhere in the world - that would be unwise to say," she says. "But obviously it's a very important part for our defence here in the Netherlands. "As you know, most of our country is below sea level, so it's of the utmost importance for us to have safe dykes and other measures to protect us."

The US delegates will be looking at how the Dutch now designate land for rivers to flood when the water level rises, instead of building dykes and levees. But to be sure, they have just completed an entire network of flood defences here to protect against any storm - except one so severe it can happen only once in 10,000 years.

Source.