Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping) (dramatic music)

(birds chirping) (dramatic music)

(water burbling)

(dramatic music)

For centuries, the Dutch have been striving

to change water into gold.

This special history with water,

requires them to create a unique landscape,

combining abundant nature

and cutting edge urban areas everyday.

(upbeat music)

A quarter of the surface area

of the Netherlands, is below sea level.

(birds chirping) (upbeat music)

These legendary landscapes are shaped by the 3,500 polders,

drained agricultural areas, surrounded by dikes.

(upbeat music)

(waves lashing)

It can be summed up most aptly in the following saying,

"God created the world,

but the Dutch created the Netherlands."

Nevertheless, the Netherlands remain the country in Europe,

most prone to the risks of rising water levels.

So, should they be protecting themselves more,

or on the contrary, letting nature take its course?

(gentle music)

Our film starts from the entrance of the Delta,

where the Rhine splits to form two distinct branches

before rejoining the North Sea.

The River Waal runs as far as Nijmegen.

We are entering the area known as the Gelderse Poort.

Ranger Timon Vanhelder, will be our guide.

(gentle music)

His role, to watch over the natural areas.

(serene gentle music)

(hinges squeaking) (ethereal music)

(air whooshing) (ethereal music)

Since the 1980s,

these spaces have become wild to a certain extent.

The beaver was reintroduced at that time.

Indeed by erecting dams,

it plays a significant role

in the natural balance of the wetlands.

(serene gentle music)

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

What you see here

is the beavers use small channels,

to swim across and re-emerge here

as they head towards their dwelling.

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

It has dug a hole in the earth,

and placed all the branches there.

So if the beaver wants to get to its dwelling,

it digs channels, which allow it to come and go.

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

Beavers like it here a lot,

because there are poplars

and willows, softwood trees,

which are also a beavers favorite food.

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

(water burbling)

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

When a Beaver discovers a taste

for a particular tree,

it returns to nibble on it

to feed for several nights.

But also, to take these branches,

which it will use to build and strengthen its habitat

or to create a dam,

enabling it to better distribute the water.

What you can see very well here

on these pieces of bark,

are the teeth marks of the beavers.

Just below the bark,

there's a part that's highly nutritious,

and only this part.

And this is the beaver's favorite food.

Over time this was used to make paracetamol,

this is why beavers never get headaches.

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

These 6,100 hectares comprise a unique

protected area in the Netherlands.

And one that is now accessible to visitors.

The best thing about the Gelderse Poort

is that it was returned to nature 24 years ago.

It was an agricultural landscape with cows and crops,

and it has been returned to nature

and nature can do what it wants.

The river may overflow.

The trees can grow where they want.

The animals go where they please.

And the countryside is becoming wilder and wilder.

What I really like

is that sometimes the level of the river

is very high, and sometimes very low.

It's a dynamic landscape and one that changes every day.

Development of the natural areas

has made it possible to introduce the large animals,

such as Konik wild horses,

found in the Gelderse Poort since 1981.

Today, around 50 horses

and almost 150 Scottish Galloway cows,

maintain the landscape roaming freely.

(serene gentle music)

At the Gelderse Poort,

people are free to walk and stroll

and often come into contact with the animals

as a consequence.

The public are advised to keep a distance

of 25 meters from the animals,

since they're wild horses

and we don't know how they'll react,

but coexistence works very well.

(Timon speaking in foreign language)

(Timon laughing)

30 years ago, the Dutch decided to recognize

the importance of water once more.

The dikes were lowered

and new channels were dug.

As a consequence, the local flora

has been enriched by welcoming new species.

Yuks Hameney, Research Botanist

at the University of Nijmegen,

has witnessed this transformation of the landscape.

(Yuks speaking in foreign language)

This looks like grass, but it isn't.

It's a type of sage called needle spike rush.

This entire plateau is covered by this plant.

Just like the birds that live here,

it's a typical species found on these damp and silty soils

that have their own particular kind of vegetation.

At least 10 species grow

on this damp, bare and fertile soil.

And here is one,

marsh dock or Rumex palustris

a very common species

but specific to this environment,

there's a lot of it.

This is a nodding beggarticks

which is also a very common species,

but very characteristic for these damp soils.

Also favored by the Marshall water forget-me-not,

which you can see all over in this vegetation.

These small blue flowers are at home

in this fertile environment.

In this new environment,

certain plants colonize the space

and do so rather too readily at times.

Here is the Himalayan balsam,

a very tall plant, which can reclaim and overrun an area.

It has seized it's opportunity here

in this countryside, which is very open.

The species has taken hold there

by using the water from the river,

and has spread significantly as a result.

It is a very attractive plant,

with some rather amusing attributes.

If you touch the fruit they explode.

And you can eat them,

and they have a distinct nutty taste.

(Yuks speaking in foreign language)

(water burbling) (birds chirping)

Floodplain forest are being invaded

by these species.

The question is, is this detrimental to the forest?

And do we need to take action?

(Yuks speaking in foreign language)

(upbeat music)

(birds chittering) (smooth music)

Attracted by this new and vast environment,

the birds have returned to take up residence

in the Gelderse Poort.

Today, there are thousands of Cormorants,

alongside Egrets and Lapwings,

and from time to time

you can even spot an Osprey.

And more than 150,000 geese spend the winter here.

(soft music)

(ducks squawking) (birds chirping)

There's a famous Dutch poem,

written by Hendrik Marsman 1936.

Which describes the beginnings of the Delta.

It recounts the story of the Netherlands.

It's a kind of homage.

Thinking of Holland,

I picture broad rivers

meandering through unending lowlands.

For me, the river landscape is very special.

I was born by the river,

not the Waal, but the Meuse.

The Meuse is my river,

and I come from a small village.

I'm the son of a bar owner.

And I was always near the river.

I felt like a child at the river.

To me, the river, the water,

the movement, the boats, everything is always dynamic.

And at the same time,

it stays the same.

On one hand,

there's this constant movement.

And on the other, stability.

I feel a very strong connection with the river.

(smooth music)

Two thirds of the Netherlands

are vulnerable to flooding.

Consequently for centuries,

the inhabitants have tried in every way possible

to prevent the sea and rivers from overflowing.

This is where the dikes

and the pumping stations play their part.

This pumping station is the Delta's first.

It's situated at the entrance

to the city of Nijmegen,

and is co-managed by the Germans and the Dutch.

(water gushing)

What's special about it,

is that it has an innovative system

for preserving the environment.

There are three crossing points

under the pump for reptiles, fish and mammals.

When the river rises,

this crossing is closed off.

Yet, as long as the river level is low,

the pumping station constitutes

the habitat of the local fauna.

Here, nature co-exists with the city continuously.

(smooth music)

We are entering the medieval city of Nijmegen.

The river bed of the Waal was once very narrow,

and it often burst its banks.

To put this right,

a second channel was dug,

thus creating an island in the middle of the Waal.

This channel is known as the Spiegelwaal,

and now allows the water to disperse more easily.

A residential district and a recreational area,

are under development.

Raymond Moken, board sports instructor,

is one of the first

to welcome the creation of this leisure park.

Every week, the number of participants

in his paddle yoga class,

keeps on rising.

(train engine roaring)

(Raymond speaking in foreign language)

In 2015, I heard for the first time

that the municipality had year marked the Spiegelwaal

for aquatic sports.

Being self-employed,

I was almost on the lookout

for something new to start.

I thought it over for a week.

And in no time I told myself,

I'm going to start up a small surfing and paddle business

and I'm going to give lessons.

(speaking in foreign language)

And this is what we do,

with the view of the old city, of course.

(speaking in foreign language)

This has completely changed my life.

You saw today, I work outside,

being outside makes you happy.

Being close to the water is fantastic.

(motor vehicle engine roaring)

Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities

in the Netherlands.

Conquered by the Romans,

it underwent expansion under Charlemagne.

It's battle against rising water levels,

is a historic one too.

What remains of the Castle of Charlemagne,

duly protected from the floods is evidence of this.

This city only has one permanent dike.

And this is of course a problem in such a wet region.

1926 saw the most spectacular flood.

In the Netherlands, working to monitor

and maintain the water levels,

constitutes one of the most valued professions there is.

It's the Water Board or waterschap

a real state within a state, which handles this.

Yhana Khom, is one of it's managers.

As a quarter of the country is below sea level,

the Netherlands have developed their own way

of dealing with rising water levels,

the NAP or Normal Amsterdam Water Level.

(ducks squawking)

We've had the same levels,

since the 19th century.

You can see here in Nijmegen,

we normally start at 12.5 meters

and there it's broadly at 14 meters.

In 1995, we had reached a level of 13.62 meters.

This was a reason for us to strengthen protection.

(helicopter rotors roaring)

In the past 20 years,

rainfall has become more intense

and the risks of flooding are increasingly a threat.

But in Nijmegen,

they are looking for original solutions.

This gate is closed

on the key side of Waal in Nijmegen,

in case of flooding when the water level

reaches 12.5 meters at Lobith,

where the Rhine enters the Netherlands.

And it's possible to provide protection

up to around 17 meters.

This is exceptional,

and I hope I'll never experience this.

It has already been closed once in 2011.

The gates stayed back to 2008.

Removable steel panels are mobilized,

in order to shore up the gates and the dike.

This is an example of a metal beam,

to close what's known as a Cupier

or cut off.

They're stuck together,

and the rubber strips

create a perfect seal.

(speaking foreign language)

This is where the Cupier

is assembled.

If you can imagine,

first of all, we take out this section.

This is in fact the framework of the Cupier,

so there's a double protection.

(Yana speaking in foreign language)

First of all a base is put in place,

and the beams are stacked up on top

one after the other, up to this level.

In this location here,

around eight beams are stacked together.

And in other locations

we may require more or fewer of them.

Together, they seal and secure the whole city.

The Cupier in Nijmegen,

have now become critical in the battle

against flooding in the Delta.

Periods of high water,

which have become genuine attractions

in their own right.

It was necessary to build this barrier

right in the center of the city.

Everyone who lives and strolls along here,

wants to see the Waal.

To enable them to have a great viewpoint,

they therefore built the dike lower.

( speaking in foreign language)

The actual level is that of the wall,

but the view is so exceptional.

That if the level rises,

an additional section is added

which will also be part of the Cupier.

(speaking in foreign language)

We continue our journey along the Waal,

and discover the Biesbosch National Park.

Covering an area of 40,000 hectares,

including 7,100 under water,

it's one of the most renowned parks in the Netherlands.

(smooth music)

(ducks squawking)

The islands of Biesbosch

came into being in 1421,

following the great flood of St. Elizabeth.

Since then, the landscape and the park

has continued to evolve.

In the 1970s,

the result of the plan to close the dikes

was a decrease in the natural tides,

and the drying out of the vegetation.

In the 1980s,

a vast program of regeneration was launched.

And since the 2000s,

the water has finally been able to reclaim its place

little by little.

(birds chirping) (gentle music)

In the Northern section of the park,

the land was mainly agricultural.

After the flood of 1995,

the state decided to launch a large scale land inventory.

Hundreds of farmers had to leave their farms

to be relocated kilometers away.

(gentle music)

Those who stayed,

are at a risk of a rise

in the river level, up to 60 centimeters.

It's why their dwellings were elevated on to mountains.

(birds chirping) (gentle music)

This unique natural reserve,

is one of Europe's rare areas

of fresh water in tides.

And the wildlife is gradually returning.

(gentle serene music) (birds chirping)

(water burbling) (gentle serene music)

(birds chirping) (gentle music)

Several hundred different bird species

come here for brooding.

Notably, pairs of kingfishers.

(birds chittering) (gentle serene music)

(air whooshing) (birds chirping)

(water burbling) (wind whistling)

At the heart of Biesbosch,

in a place only accessible by boat.

We meet Hennie Khama.

she has a clear cut opinion

on the question of the parks development.

(wind whooshing)

(pencil scratching)

It has returned to how it was in the beginning.

Since the dawn of time,

this region aided water recovery and reclamation,

whilst for centuries, man has tried to drain it.

Nature responds every time.

Take away this dike,

let's punch a hole in it

because that's what I need.

It was not until 1995,

that we finally realized this.

Since the end of the 1960s,

Hennie has lived a nomadic life

along the length of the canals,

in the Netherlands.

(light playful music)

(Hennie speaking in foreign language)

Traveling down the back roads

across the whole country,

we also ended up here, in Biesbosch.

And I said to myself, "Wow, what a place,

I need to stay here."

I had to return and eventually stay there permanently.

As I've gotten older,

I've spent longer periods of time there and more often.

Like the bird making its nest.

(Hennie speaking in foreign language)

(birds chirping)

When I look outside,

I simply see plants, flowers.

I don't know how many different kinds.

And lots of these plants are edible.

They are my summer vegetables.

What's more, my soulmate has been at my side throughout.

(birds chirping)

(bright music)

This is real life

and people have forgotten that.

They want everything from the supermarket

and processed food, but here, the food we eat

comes directly from nature.

(Hennie speaking in foreign language)

Like the cat that catches the mouse,

and puts it in its mouth.

I take a leaf and eat it.

(bright music)

(speaking in foreign language)

It's amazing.

Absolutely wonderful.

(laughs) (lively music)

(water burbling) (lively music)

Hennie, has always enjoyed painting,

and does not expect to stop anytime soon.

(water burbling) (lively music)

She will continue,

as long as the spirit of the Biesbosch lives on.

(upbeat music)

Moving along the tributaries of the Waal,

we spot Kinderdijk,

a village situated at the mouth of the lake.

(upbeat music)

On this site, 19 magnificent windmills,

make up one of the iconic images of the Netherlands.

These mills were built around 1740.

(upbeat music)

In 1997,

this site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

(upbeat music)

Not as common place as the flour mills,

watermills also use the power of the wind.

(lively music)

For a long time,

they were essential for pumping water from the polders.

(upbeat music)

(metal clanking) (upbeat music)

The watermill, belonging to Rob Van Zeil,

is one of the very few

to still be operational, on the Delta.

(ethereal music)

(wind whooshing)

The idea is that the wind

blows square onto the rains.

This afternoon, you saw how I turned the vanes

toward the wind.

How I hooked up the sails

and that I made the mill turn.

When the mill's turning

for example, I can't go shopping.

I have to keep watch.

It works according to how the weather is,

which is changeable

and you saw that this afternoon.

There was some sunshine and now it's cloudy.

(speaking in foreign language) I always wanted to live

close to a windmill.

And 28 years ago,

I got this opportunity here.

(speaking in foreign language)

I embraced it

and I've never regretted my life.

(windmill whooshing)

Dean is 12 years old,

and comes every Saturday to train as a miller.

Just like Rob did at the same age.

(Rob speaking in foreign language)

You can set two of them half way

and that's fine.

Great sails, ey?

Mmh.

So,

like that?

I think so.

What do you think?

Yeah.

I think.

If you finished,

you can raise the sails.

Okay.

(wind whooshing) (gentle music)

(windmill whooshing) (gentle music)

At Kinderdijk, the windmills

are admittedly only turning for the tourists.

(upbeat music)

Nonetheless, the site

remains one of the most important pumping stations

in the Netherlands, as all the water

from Germany, and from the mountains, moves through there.

(upbeat music)

The pumps sends the water into the reservoirs,

connected to the rivers,

which will then empty into the sea.

(upbeat music)

Engineer Hans Vastnehoud,

monitors operation of the pumps.

(upbeat music)

(Hans speaking in foreign language)

The last time we had a flood

was around 1995.

(Hans speaking in foreign language)

It was a real emergency,

since the rivers were very high.

And one of the pumping stations broke down,

right to that moment.

(Hans speaking in foreign language)

We had to get mobile pumps

from the North of the country,

to pump the water here, to the rivers.

(Hans speaking in foreign language)

In times of flood,

it's essential to use the pumps

to avert a disaster,

monitor the water level,

or even work to lower it.

The pumps rely on an Archimedes Screw.

This screw system,

invented in ancient times

then developed by Leonardo da Vinci,

allows the liquid to travel

along the length of this screw.

(water spattering)

(Hans speaking in foreign language)

We are now a well oiled operation,

and we can forecast emergency situations

and respond in advance.

(speaking in foreign language)

But the weather remains unpredictable.

And if suddenly we have heavy rains,

which do occur in this region,

we have to act immediately.

And it's possible that I'll receive a call

in the night, to come and start up the machines.

(Hans speaking in foreign language)

(wind whooshing)

(gentle music) (wind whooshing)

(gentle music)

(gentle serene music)

Following our route towards the Southwest,

we enter the Delta's maritime zone.

(ethereal music)

The Haringvliet is an estuary,

which had to be closed

because of storms and floods.

Unfortunately, this safety comes at a price.

Many species have disappeared,

or left the estuary.

Today, there is the possibility of reopening it partially.

(ethereal music)

(bird chirping) (ethereal music)

The Haringvliet,

is home to the island Tiengemeten.

(gentle music)

Originally, this island was largely agricultural,

before becoming a nature reserve in 2007,

(ethereal music)

managed by an Environmental Protection Association.

Only around 10 farmers,

still live on the island,

where vehicles are banned.

(ethereal music) (motor boat engine running)

(birds chirping) (gentle serene music)

(gentle music) (birds chirping)

(birds chittering) (gentle music)

Thijsse Vise, one of the volunteers

from the Natuurmonumenten Association,

is a retired teacher.

Thijsse knows Tiengemeten inside out.

(bird chattering)

(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)

In different locations on Tiengemeten,

it's possible to see that the water

which surrounds the island,

the Haringvliet was salty.

Here and there you come across salt loving plants.

They're called halophytes.

Here you'll find common sea buckthorn.

You can see two large shrubs

and smaller ones, which take root here very readily.

Which means that there's still salt in the ground.

(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)

(insects skittering) (wind whooshing)

(birds chirping)

(wind whooshing)

(birds chirping) (wind whooshing)

(birds chirping)

(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)

A few years ago here,

we counted the number of nesting sites.

We discovered that more than 90 species

of birds come to reproduce.

Including 29 on the Red List.

The Red List is a group of threatened birds,

which are now very rare.

Which must be looked after.

So the fact that lots of birds are reproducing,

including some very rare ones,

is a sign that our association

has done a good job.

(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)

(birds chittering)

The Spoonbill is very much a Dutch bird.

One of the symbols of the Natuurmonumenten Association,

and previously featured on its logo.

If there are spoonbills present,

it's a sign that here at Tiengemeten,

the quality of the water is good,

because this is where they find their food,

and that's crucial.

(Thijsse speaking foreign language)

(birds chittering)

The Northern lapwing

is a typical Dutch field bird.

And we actually saw two large groups this afternoon.

I think they've gathered

to get a sense of what the winter holds.

If it's cold, there'll leave.

If it's quite mild,

they'll stay where they are.

(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)

(birds chittering) (smooth music)

At the South of the Delta,

over 37,000 hectares of the Oosterschelde National Park

open out to the North Sea.

(upbeat music)

(waves crashing) (upbeat music)

(waves crashing) (upbeat music)

Sand banks and moist meadows

provide areas of refuge and food

to thousands of birds and seals,

which are the main local residents.

Two species of seals,

co-exist in this park.

The gray seal and the common seal.

(birds chirping) (playful music)

(waves crashing)

(seal growling)

(playful music)

(seal growling) (playful music)

(waves crashing)

But many dangers lurk here too.

In 1953, a huge storm battered than North Sea,

followed by a flood surge,

resulting in the deaths of 1,800 people

and 50,000 heads of cattle.

72,000 people had to be evacuated.

This disaster remains etched in the Dutch memory,

as a veritable national trauma.

(ethereal music)

(crowd chattering)

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

People knew that the dikes were too low.

The storm was generated by two depressions

which came together between Scotland and Iceland.

They triggered a storm lasting 32 hours,

which made the water rise above the dikes.

Half the dike

was unable to withstand the force and collapsed.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

This is where stories

of the people come from,

who were inside their homes.

It was dark,

and they could see a wall of sea water approaching.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

(crowd applauding)

I can go on for hours

telling you these stories.

That's my problem.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

(laughs)

(car engine revving)

Jaap Schoepp was nine

at the time of this tragic event.

The farm he lived on with his parents,

was then left completely submerged.

He doesn't live there now,

but remembers.

(ethereal music)

(wind whooshing) (ethereal music)

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

We could see what was happening

outside from this window.

We could see the waves, the neighbor,

the house of the employee who disappeared.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

And when it really started to gush,

my mum and dad took us with my brother and my little sister

to the other side of the farm.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

To stop us seeing it.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

(wind whooshing)

(Jaap laughs)

(wind whooshing)

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

On a Tuesday,

we were rescued by fishermen

who took us by boat to Rotterdam,

to one of my aunts.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

And that's when people came to tell us,

that they'd seen how my grandmother had drowned.

How the house had collapsed,

and how they floated out on the roof hitting trees.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

The roof tipped over.

And this is how my grandmother,

my aunt and my niece all drowned.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

(wind whooshing)

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

In the future,

we need to be aware that this can happen again.

And it will happen again without doubt.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

Under the influence of climate change,

everything will change.

But nature will come out on top.

(Jaap speaking in foreign language)

(waves crashing)

(upbeat music)

After 1953, measures to protect

against storms and rising waters, became a priority.

(upbeat music)

This was how the Oosterschelde Storm

Surge Barrier came into being.

The first large scale storm protection,

construction of which was completed in 1986.

(upbeat music)

Extending for nine kilometers,

it's very spectacular,

because it's only partially closed.

It leaves room for the daily tides

and is lowered in its entirety

if the tide exceeds

the Amsterdam water level, by three meters.

This has occurred a total of 27 occasions,

since it's erection.

(upbeat music)

When the barrier was constructed,

ecologists and fishermen

were the first to oppose its full closure.

(upbeat music)

This would have caused an ecological disaster

in particular for fishing.

Oyster and mussel cultures are in fact vital

to the fishermen in the park.

(bright music)

(machine whirring)

One of the main fishing businesses in the Marine park,

is the one belonging to Jaap Schott.

For around a hundred years,

we've been cultivating mussels in Oosterschelde park.

In 1912, my great grandfather

set up here to fish for mussels.

The Oosterschelde park,

is a protected inlet

and the North Sea brings a cool current.

This is what's unique about this park.

Jaap Schott has been a fishermen

for more than 40 years.

He was still young when the barrier was built.

But even if it only closes partially,

there are consequences for the marine environment.

(metal clanking)

We shouldn't interfere with nature.

If we do interfere when it comes to nature,

the current will migrate.

Indeed, the decline in ocean current

has modified the biotope to some extent.

Certain species flourish

such as the ophiuroids,

not to be confused with starfish.

Before 1986 and the barrier,

there was more current in the Marine Park.

Since then a certain number

of mussels colonies have decreased,

because there's less current.

In some locations this has been fine,

but overall it has had a major impact

on fishing in the Marine Park.

It would have been better

if they quite simply left the park open.

Because it was much better before,

even if we had to go great distances to fish,

fishing was good.

(Schott speaking in foreign language)

(upbeat music)

(boat engine revving)

(waves crashing)

Franz Speghahen, was one of the main engineers

on the barrier.

He returns occasionally to visit the teams.

(speaking in foreign language)

(woman speaking in foreign language)

(speaking in foreign language)

Nothing seems to have changed in 35 years.

Isn't that right?

That's correct.

(Franz speaking in foreign language)

Based on my own perceptions

and observations, quite clearly the tide dropped

because of the barrier.

This definitely has an effect on the composition of life

in the Oosterschelde Park.

But I suspect there's still a wealth of life in the park.

(Franz speaking in foreign language)

Changes are both positive and negative.

If we take the example of the seals,

there hasn't been a decrease.

Numbers have actually improved.

(Franz speaking in foreign language)

But in an era of global warming,

is the Oosterschelde Barrier still enough

to protect this area of the Delta?

(waves crashing)

(Franz speaking foreign language)

There are several climatic scenarios

as we all know.

But the forecast are that at the end of this century,

the sea level might rise a maximum of one meter.

And this will have huge impact on this structure.

But also on the whole inner area.

(Franz speaking in foreign language)

My prediction is that in 2100,

with the one meter rise in water levels,

the barrier won't be as robust

and we'll be called on to fill it

in with sand and remove it.

(Franz speaking in foreign language)

(ethereal music)

Such a scenario is no longer science fiction,

at a time when the issue of rising water levels

it's pressing more than ever

along the entire length of the Delta.

(ethereal music)

Heading North, we come to the Maasvlakte,

the industrial port of Rotterdam.

Which is where we find the latest structure

to protect the Delta.

(birds chirping) (ethereal music)

The largest protection barrier in the world,

The Maeslantkering was inaugurated in 1997.

(ethereal music)

In the first instance,

this is a technological revolution

which protects 2,000,000 people.

(gentle music)

The barrier is one kilometer from the open sea,

and includes two vast gates.

When opened,

which is generally the case,

it's gates remain on firm ground.

(birds chirping) (gentle music)

If the structure needs to be closed

in the event of a storm,

the two gates, each one

210 meters in size, join before thrusting down

into the deepest ocean depths.

(birds chirping) (gentle music)

Once a year,

the closing operation of the barrier is tested.

The occasion of a popular event

close to the industrial Port of Rotterdam.

(children chattering) (water burbling)

(lively music)

One of the participants,

seems even more attentive

than the others.

Jan van Oscholt was one of the barrier engineers.

(crowd applauding)

(Jan speaking in foreign language)

The government had enlisted us,

to come up with a storm barrier construction project.

We had a few ideas,

but we didn't know at all where to build it.

Consequently, I came here one Sunday morning

for a walk with my wife amongst the ship.

And I said to her jokingly,

"What about putting it there?"

20 years later, I come back here and there it is.

It's a great feeling.

(ship horn blowing)

Jan recalls the day

when he saw the barrier

being put into service for the first time.

(ethereal music)

It was at the time of the inauguration,

of it becoming operational in 1997.

The Queen had the task of pressing the button,

and afterwards they demonstrated

the closing operation like now.

(Jan speaking in foreign language)

I remember it very well.

Mission accomplished.

In total, the barrier will have taken 30 minutes to close.

(lively music)

(laughs)

(speaking in foreign language)

I'm proud that everything works

as envisaged, as it ought to.

They did a lot of work.

It was pretty intense.

(Jan speaking in foreign language)

Now we can see it operational.

(Jan speaking in foreign language)

Yeah, proud.

(ethereal music)

The Maeslantkering

has only really had to be closed twice.

(upbeat music)

The last occasion quite recently in January, 2018

during storm Eleanor.

For the first time in their history,

the five main protection systems on the Dutch coast

were closed simultaneously.

(gentle music)

But closing The Maeslantkering,

remains a high level exercise,

since it means interrupting all activity

at the industrial Port in Rotterdam,

none other than the biggest port in Europe.

Around 1000 ports in the world

have connections with Rotterdam,

including 500 via regular lines.

The Port of Rotterdam,

therefore has a ringside seat

in the event of rising water levels,

and its business never stops.

(car engines revving)

A dynamic city like Rotterdam,

is the ideal laboratory

for testing new business models on water.

(upbeat music)

Vert Hoeffen is part of the new generation

of architects, concerned with urbanization

and the environment in equal measure.

(upbeat music)

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

The water taxi

is a perfect way of traveling

from one place to another.

There are no traffic lights

and on water, everything is closer.

Furthermore, it's really a pleasant way to travel.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

(boat engine revving)

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

Throughout the world,

all the big cities are situated on the water,

sea or rivers.

Water has always been the life blood of a city,

giving it its reason for being.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

Along wit his agency,

Vert Hoeffen has devised a floating pavilion,

built originally for the universal exhibition

of Shanghai in 2010,

to be relocated to Rotterdam in 2015.

(upbeat music)

A pilot project to determine if it's possible to build

and live on water,

at a time of climate change.

(upbeat music)

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

This pavilion was developed in cooperation

with the City of Rotterdam.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

In fact, the pavilion

was built of expanded polystyrene.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

These small cells

of polystyrene are waterproof.

It's a very useful material.

To ensure that it floats,

it's what makes up the base of the pavilion.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

The building moves

approximately two meters a day,

depending on tidal fluctuation.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

It's construction means that it can absorb

different movements.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

At the same time,

we can see that the building is very stable.

That given its proportions,

it has greater stability than a barge.

Something really unique for this structure.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

It's a step forward

towards an evolution in floating technologies.

(Vert speaking in foreign language)

How's it going?

Good, there's been a couple of changes.

Yes, that's evident.

There's new furniture, new activities on the water

and we have a new mass roof.

It's great.

Very pleasant.

A nice temperature here.

Yes, the temperature comes..

It comes from the fact that you can open the windows.

You can open the roof shutters,

and this provides natural air circulation

which creates a pleasant temperature inside the pavilion.

There was talk

of relocating the building after five years.

Yeah.

But it's still here.

I don't think it's necessary to move it in the short term.

And if we have to,

it must stay in the port.

That might be an option.

You're very attached to the place.

Yes, to the building as well.

(laughs)

Great.

(serene gentle music)

Increasingly overcrowded towns and cities

and decreasing availability of space,

Vert Hoeffen and this team

have supported a project in that direction.

(gentle music)

Eight years ago,

this City of Delft offered water plots for sale

and a brand new district.

The aim, to encourage potential buyers,

to create floating homes.

(serene gentle music)

Olaf Jansen is one of the inhabitants,

to have taken up the challenge.

(serene gentle music)

(ducks chittering) (serene gentle music)

It all began

by building a home for myself.

It was necessary to come up with so many techniques,

and we thought, if we've developed

these intelligent technologies,

why not use them for other homes?

(birds chirping)

(ducks chattering)

This is how Olaf became the designer

of his own home, for which he filed a patent.

It features composite insulating material,

thanks to fiberglass.

Each house is unique,

and prefabricated before being installed on water.

(Olaf speaking in foreign language)

In the event of heavy rain,

the water level rises.

But what happens is that the houses

which are attached to these pylons, can move vertically.

(Olaf speaking in foreign language)

So in periods of heavy rain,

the house rises too.

(Olaf speaking in foreign language)

When the water recedes,

the house descends.

This is the reason why we can build floating homes,

without interfering with the water level

in the plot as a whole.

(Olaf speaking in foreign language)

This is the most positive aspect

of the floating home.

(Olaf speaking in foreign language)

In the event of a storm,

the home must be stable, of course.

It can sink 40 centimeters into the water.

It's permanent balancing system

relies on a base of compressed air and counterweights.

(gentle music)

(speaking in foreign language)

Beneath the house,

there's a kind of balance, amounting to 350 liters

in which air is pressurized to stabilize the house.

Not long ago they installed a jacuzzi on the roof,

which is very heavy.

We wanted to check whether we can balance the house

via this air pump system.

And on the roof of his house,

Olaf has installed an original counterweight

to maintain the structure's equilibrium.

A small pond filled with fish.

(birds chirping)

Having determined that once in place

his floating home was operational,

Olaf set up his own company

to distribute this model.

In the first instance,

in surrounding plots

and subsequently in other regions of the Netherlands,

the idea is catching on.

Since childhood

I've always been interested in the water.

Yes, we live on the water

and we see the birds, the greenery around us.

It is very tranquil.

We are more aware of the nature around us.

(gentle music)

(duck quacking) (gentle music)

Develop floating homes indeed,

but why not go as far as floating towns

which would recycle waste and CO2.

(upbeat music)

This is one of the projects,

Vert Hoeffen is working on right now.

(upbeat music)

What we tested in Rotterdam,

is merely a first step.

We're in the process of developing new technologies,

allowing constructions on the coast.

We're also in the process of conducting trials

with Marine, to test floating constructions in a wave pool.

(Bart speaking in foreign language)

(waves crashing) (boat engine revving)

What we're trying to do,

is to find a new way of living

which moves along with the elements, like water.

(Bart speaking in foreign language)

(upbeat music)

For centuries,

The Delta in the Netherlands

has constantly been shaped by man.

(gentle music)

(water burbling) (gentle music)

With climate change,

nature is once again becoming the big winner

in the Delta region.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping) (gentle music)

(windmill whooshing) (gentle music)

The Dutch have definitely not finished playing with water.

(gentle music)

(upbeat music)