ABSTRACT
During the first and second centuries, the peat bogs in the southwestern Netherlands subsided, supposedly because of man-made drainage works. Thus, the construction and maintenance of the drainage system became a community matter rather than a private one. Each community was responsible for draining their surplus water—but not into the drainage system of a neighboring community. Drainage systems in many low-lying areas were also improved by canal digging. The government approaches to water management now advocate a three-part strategy: retention, buffering, and drainage. By the 17th to 19th Centuries, the Dutch had developed a range of innovations in drainage methods and had increased their ability to manage water. Extensive dredging created a system of channels to improve water discharge and create shipping routes such as the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Noordzeekanaal. Between 1600 and 1800, the amount of land that was reclaimed increased dramatically because of the need for more productive agricultural land.
