Editing Netherlands (section)

===Floods===
{{Main|Flood control in the Netherlands|List of floods in the Netherlands|Storm tides of the North Sea}}
[[File:Christmas flood 1717.jpg|thumb|The [[Christmas Flood of 1717]] resulted in the death of thousands.]]

Over the centuries, the Dutch coastline has changed considerably as a result of natural disasters and human intervention.

On 14 December 1287, [[St. Lucia's flood]] affected the Netherlands and Germany, killing more than 50,000 people in one of the most destructive floods in recorded history.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1485002/Zuiderzee-floods Zuiderzee floods (Netherlands history)]. Britannica Online Encyclopedia.</ref> The [[St. Elizabeth's flood (1421)|St. Elizabeth flood]] of 1421 and the mismanagement in its aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed [[polder]], replacing it with the {{convert|72|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} ''[[Biesbosch]]'' tidal floodplains. The huge [[North Sea flood of 1953|North Sea flood of February 1953]] caused the collapse of several dikes in the southwest Netherlands; more than 1,800 people drowned. The Dutch government subsequently instituted a large-scale programme, the "[[Delta Works]]", to protect the country against future flooding, which was completed over a period of more than 40 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/dutch-delta-works-from-engineering-feat-to-cultural-statement|title=Dutch Delta Works: from engineering feat to cultural statement|first=Ronald|last=Rietveld|date=8 June 2017}}</ref>

[[File:The Netherlands compared to sealevel.png|thumb|left|Map illustrating areas of the Netherlands below sea level]]
The impact of disasters was, to an extent, increased through human activity. Relatively high-lying [[swamp]]land was drained to be used as farmland. The drainage caused the fertile [[peat]] to contract and ground levels to drop; groundwater levels were lowered to compensate, causing the underlying peat to contract further. Additionally, until the 19th century peat was mined, dried, and used for fuel, further exacerbating the problem. Even in flooded areas, peat extraction continued through turf dredging.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Netherlands : Fugros Ground Investigation Links Dutch Subsidence to Former Peat Extraction |journal=MENA Report |date=20 September 2021}}</ref>

To guard against floods, a series of defences against the water were contrived. In the first millennium [[AD]], villages and farmhouses were built on hills called ''[[terp]]s''. Later, these terps were connected by dikes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called ''"[[Water board (Netherlands)|waterschappen]]"'' ("water boards") or ''"[[Water board (Netherlands)|hoogheemraadschappen]]"'' ("high home councils") started to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods; these agencies continue to exist. As the ground level dropped, the dikes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system. By the 13th century [[windmill]]s had come into use to pump water. The windmills were later used to drain lakes, creating the famous [[polder]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Windmills in Dutch History|url=http://www.let.rug.nl/polders/boekje/history.htm|website=Let.rug.nl|publisher=Rijks Universiteit Groningen|access-date=7 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705084250/http://www.let.rug.nl/polders/boekje/history.htm|archive-date=5 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 1932 the ''[[Afsluitdijk]]'' ("Closure Dike") was completed, blocking the former ''[[Zuiderzee]]'' (Southern Sea) from the North Sea and thus creating the [[IJsselmeer]] ([[IJssel]] Lake). It became part of the larger [[Zuiderzee Works]] in which four polders totalling {{convert|2500|km2|mi2|0}} were reclaimed from the sea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/gemeentes/gem533nh.htm |publisher=sdu.nl |title=Kerngegevens gemeente Wieringermeer |access-date=21 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106163025/http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/gemeentes/gem533nh.htm |archive-date=6 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/PROVINCIES/flevoland.htm |publisher=sdu.nl |title=Kerngegevens procincie Flevoland |access-date=21 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226115958/http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/PROVINCIES/flevoland.htm |archive-date=26 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Netherlands is one of the countries that may suffer most from [[climate change]]. Not only is the rising sea a problem, but erratic weather patterns may cause the rivers to overflow.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nickerson |first=Colin |title=Netherlands relinquishes some of itself to the waters |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=5 December 2005 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/12/05/holland_goes_beyond_holding_back_the_tide/ |access-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630210923/http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/12/05/holland_goes_beyond_holding_back_the_tide/ |archive-date=30 June 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Olsthoorn |first=A.A. |author2=Richard S.J. Tol |title=Floods, flood management and climate change in The Netherlands |publisher=Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit |date=February 2001 |url=http://de.scientificcommons.org/16816958 |oclc=150386158 |access-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022043234/http://de.scientificcommons.org/16816958 |archive-date=22 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tol |first1=Richard S. J. |last2=van der Grijp |first2=Nicolien |last3=Olsthoorn |first3=Alexander A. |last4=van der Werff |first4=Peter E. |title=Adapting to Climate: A Case Study on Riverine Flood Risks in the Netherlands |journal=Risk Analysis |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=575–583 |year=2003 |doi=10.1111/1539-6924.00338 |pmid=12836850|bibcode=2003RiskA..23..575T |url=http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/1871/31872/1/158073.pdf |hdl=1871/31872 |s2cid=1054016}}</ref>