More than a decade ago, during my diplomatic assignment in the Netherlands, I had experienced first-hand, the impressive homegrown techniques – a synthesis of old and modern technology – used by Netherlands to prevent Flooding. What is remarkable is that Netherlands is geographically a “low and flat” country, with a long coastline to the North, with one-fourth of its land area and population located below sea level. Only half of its land area rises above sea level, and that too marginally by a meter or so!
The Netherlands has centuries of experience in managing water and controlling floods. Given the geographical handicap that makes the land prone to frequent flooding, Flood Protection and Water Management are cornerstones of the Dutch governance system. Over the years, the country has taken giant strides in technological advancement for efficient usage of water management and irrigation technologies to overcome the threat of rising water levels.
The Dutch have adapted and learnt to live and co-exist with the Water by protecting themselves with Levees and Dunes. Farmers built the first Dikes against the flood waters and since then Windmills have been pumping the waters off the land.
Water levels were controlled thousands of years ago by building Levees (by draining out the lakes) and creating polders (tracks of land reclaimed from the sea or lakes). Spatial planning in the low-lying Netherlands has been a priority – to maintain the separation between land and water – a dire existential need for the Dutch.
In addition to the series of huge dam projects constructed to seal off flood-prone river estuaries and inlets from the sea, a complex system of man-made Canals and Lakes connect the different Polders and act as storage basins. The collected water is then again let out into the river/sea, either through sluice gates or pumping stations. This system of drainage ditches, canals, and pumping stations keeps the low-lying parts dry for habitation and agriculture.
Flood Problems in India
India is highly vulnerable to Floods – the bane of the Indian population. Floods occur annually, especially during the monsoons, with heavy rainfall and rise in water levels, resulting in loss of lives, disruptions in human settlements and economic activities.
The population living along coastlines and river estuaries in regions around Brahmaputra, Ganga, North-West, Central, and Deccan plateaus face the brunt of the fury of ‘rivers in spate’. Reasons are the inadequate carrying capacity of rivers, drainage congestion and erosion of riverbanks. During monsoons, even Metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi face serious challenges of flooding and choking of arterial roads and sewers.
Many of these natural disasters and annual flooding are being blamed on human-induced climate change – impacting society in a widespread and complex manner – from health issues to agriculture, from transportation to economics, et al. With rapid urbanization, more and more people in India are relocating and living in vulnerable cities in low-lying areas. Robust measures are needed to prevent the occurrence of floods or to at least minimize the impact on the lives of people, livestock and crops. Instances of ‘lessons not learnt’ from the 2018 flooding in Kerala came into sharp focus when we witnessed a repeat of the tragedy later in July 2024 in Wayanad (Kerala),
During the past year, we saw similar disaster hot-spots around the world – such as Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany), Ávila and Madrid (Spain), and West Sumatra (Indonesia), which bore the brunt of deadly floods and landslides. Disasters during the last decade included Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans) and Hurricane Sandy in the United States in 2005 and 2012, and winter floods in the UK in early 2014 & 2015,
Dutch Solutions for Flood Risk Management
The Dutch have historically invested in technological solutions for flood prevention, such as Dikes and Canals. Specifically, large-scale engineering solutions form the technical core of water management infrastructure in the Netherlands, with huge barriers built to prevent sea water from flowing into low-lying areas.
Modern Dutch innovation and expertise in flood control and water management evolved after the catastrophic floods of 1953. Since then, the Dutch government has ensured that the country never suffers a calamity of that magnitude. Ever since, flood protection and water management infrastructure have been a dominant part of the country’s landscape, using hydraulic engineering expertise developed by both public and private organizations – adopting a prudent balance of social, economic, environmental and engineering needs.
Having established a correlation between Flood risk and climate change, the Dutch have created multiple solutions, from hard engineering to softer natural systems, to address the risk of flooding. The Netherlands today is a world leader in managing water, having mastered the art of flood protection and water supply and treatment. Decentralized Water boards with legal powers and self-supporting financial systems are responsible for local and regional flood control and water management.
The Dutch Delta system is the largest flood-defence scheme in the world (16,500 km). Netherlands’ world-class flood protection infrastructure is bolstered by a unique Water Governance & Legal system, supported by more than 2,000 companies in the Dutch delta, water technology and dredging sectors. They specialize in integrated water management and sustainable solutions like industrial wastewater treatment incorporating urban planning concepts, protecting natural water ecosystems, and investing in advanced technologies, innovation and R&D through public-private partnerships.
Learning from the Dutch Experience
India can find solutions to its flood woes by learning from and applying the best practices and models in vogue in other countries. India can learn from the Dutch experience in planning and designing effective water systems for agriculture, transport and defence against flooding and for disaster prevention.
With its 1000 years of water management experience, the Netherlands and the time-tested Dutch Innovative Technology have much to offer in this regard – with sustainable, integrated, tailor-made solutions for India’s unique needs and climatic conditions.
Climate change, expanding economies, and urbanization and incidents of structural failures of dams are putting India’s coastal and delta populations at risk. To meet this challenge, Dutch expertise in hydraulic engineering, flood control & protection, foundation technology and infrastructure, etc., could be used.
The Netherlands is already supporting India in flood control measures through various collaborative efforts like the Dutch-funded Water Management Project in Kerala, which aims to improve flood resilience and water management in the region.
Under the Strategic Partnership on Water, the Netherlands provides expertise and assistance to India in developing flood management strategies. The Dutch also supplement Indian efforts to clean the Ganges River as part of the Namami Ganga Project. Officials from both sides meet regularly as part of a Joint Working Group on Water to collaborate on water-related projects, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. Netherlands’ expertise in floodplain management and river training, using the strategy of creating ‘Room for the River’ by widening and deepening floodplains, has been studied and adapted by Indian agencies.
While India has its own flood control policies and initiatives, it would be useful to apply and incorporate into our Master Plans the time-tested best practices of Water Management and Flood control in the Netherlands. There needs to be a structured, cohesive inter-agency coordination among various implementing and stakeholder agencies and State Governments in India to tackle the floods occurring every year. Enhanced focus on integrated river basin management is one way to effectively address critical areas for minimizing flood damage.
Indian stakeholder agencies would do well to learn from and incorporate relevant aspects of the successful and time-tested flood management model that exists in the Netherlands. It will largely help in ameliorating the misery of India’s flood-affected people and prevent damage to crops and livestock.
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