Series of columns: How do you see the future of the Dutch polder landscape?
6 - The Future of our Country
S. Thijsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grontmij
Our ninety-year-old company, Grontmij NV, owes part of its history to the 'new' polders. Tens of thousands of people have worked for us, often using shovels, in the reclamation of the Wieringermeer, the Noordoostpolder, the Lauwerszee and parts of Zeeland. The creation of new land, liberating land from water, and making 'friends' with a hostile sea were seen as cultural achievements of the highest order. The construction and maintenance of reclaimed land on such a scale demanded the cooperation of many disciplines and stimulated the development of knowledge, ingenuity and social intelligence.
Polders symbolized the "Future of our Country." They also stood witness to the Netherlands' vigilance against the storm floods that have occurred in its recent history and whose impact was completely mis-judged. These misjudgments were due in part to the fact that such rare disasters are often forgotten within a few generations.
The nation's perspective on future developments has naturally altered. The increasingly economic motives for decision making over the last few decades have made it much more difficult to justify large-scale projects. This is evident in an increasing aversion to both new plans and their backers. Long-term uncertainties about climate change, the rising sea level, tidal problems and the vulnerability of the Randstad all threaten to reduce the level of investment in infrastructural projects, and this is true not only in terms of finances.
We need a new perspective for the coming 50-100 years - a master plan for long-term investment strategies with a social aim. The master plan should be an integral spatial-economic vision for our country's long-term future. It should make clear the connections between planning and investment for housing, business, recreation and transport in relation to various coastal defense and water storage strategies and their effects on employment and investment. The relationship between the environment and the economy should be an essential component of this masterplan.
The master plan should be implemented in three areas, the so-called "National Development Zones" where investment can contribute most immediately to social improvements. Within these zones there should be three or four planning periods of 25-30 years, within which projects should be prioritized. For example, one could imagine the following:
A convincing social, environmental and technical vision for the government and employment of the afore-mentioned risks and opportunities would seem to provide the best guarantee for a sustainable investment climate and socially attractive future for our Dutch polder.
S. Thijsen
Photo: Peter Paul Klapwijk