ABSTRACT
One quarter of The Netherlands is located below sea level and for centuries its inhabitants have been accustomed to dealing with an abundance of surface water and the threat of flooding. The Dutch have thus developed a lifestyle which they term ‘living with water’. Over 50 per cent of the total population of 16 million lives under sea level in the heavily populated areas of the western part of the country. This ‘living with water’ is evident throughout the landscape. Flood defences, such as dikes and dunes bordering rivers, lakes and the sea, prevent 65 per cent of the country from being flooded on a regular basis (see Figure 10.1). One sixth of the country's surface area is covered by open water. Water resources are managed at a square metre scale in order to create optimal conditions for agriculture, buildings, infrastructure and natural ecosystems. This is a complex task in a country with a population density of 483 people per square kilometre.
