Land reclamation in the Netherlands

William II of Holland grants the charter to the Water Board of Rhineland in the 13th century.

Land reclamation in the Netherlands has a long history. As early as in the 14th century, the first reclaimed land had been settled.[1] Much of the modern land reclamation has been done as a part of the Zuiderzee Works since 1919.[2]

According to a 2007 study by Calvin University in the USA, about 65% of the country would be under water at high tide if it were not for the existence and the country's use of dikes, dunes and pumps.[3] Land reclamation in the 20th century added an additional 1,650 square kilometres (640 sq mi) to the country's land area.[3] Of the country's population, 21% lives in the 26% of the land located below mean sea level.[4]

  1. ^ How it Works: Science and Technology. Marshall Cavendish. 2003. p. 1208. ISBN 978-0-7614-7323-7.
  2. ^ Carol Hand (2014). Amazing Feats of Environmental Engineering. ABDO. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-1-62968-529-8.
  3. ^ a b Robert J Hoeksema (2007). "Three stages in the history of land reclamation in the Netherlands". Irrigation and Drainage. 56 (56). Wiley InterScience: 113–126. doi:10.1002/ird.340. S2CID 128768356.
  4. ^ "Land Reclamation in the Netherlands 1300 Vs 2000". 3 March 2023.