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(dramatic music)
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(birds chirping)
(dramatic music)
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(birds chirping)
(dramatic music)
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(water burbling)
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(dramatic music)
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For centuries, the Dutch have been striving
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to change water into gold.
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This special history with water,
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requires them to create a unique landscape,
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combining abundant nature
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and cutting edge urban areas everyday.
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(upbeat music)
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A quarter of the surface area
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of the Netherlands, is below sea level.
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(birds chirping)
(upbeat music)
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These legendary landscapes are shaped by the 3,500 polders,
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drained agricultural areas, surrounded by dikes.
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(upbeat music)
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(waves lashing)
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It can be summed up most aptly in the following saying,
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"God created the world,
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but the Dutch created the Netherlands."
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Nevertheless, the Netherlands remain the country in Europe,
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most prone to the risks of rising water levels.
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So, should they be protecting themselves more,
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or on the contrary, letting nature take its course?
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(gentle music)
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Our film starts from the entrance of the Delta,
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where the Rhine splits to form two distinct branches
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before rejoining the North Sea.
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The River Waal runs as far as Nijmegen.
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We are entering the area known as the Gelderse Poort.
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Ranger Timon Vanhelder, will be our guide.
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(gentle music)
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His role, to watch over the natural areas.
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(serene gentle music)
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(hinges squeaking)
(ethereal music)
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(air whooshing)
(ethereal music)
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Since the 1980s,
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these spaces have become wild to a certain extent.
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The beaver was reintroduced at that time.
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Indeed by erecting dams,
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it plays a significant role
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in the natural balance of the wetlands.
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(serene gentle music)
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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What you see here
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is the beavers use small channels,
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to swim across and re-emerge here
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as they head towards their dwelling.
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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It has dug a hole in the earth,
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and placed all the branches there.
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So if the beaver wants to get to its dwelling,
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it digs channels, which allow it to come and go.
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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Beavers like it here a lot,
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because there are poplars
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and willows, softwood trees,
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which are also a beavers favorite food.
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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(water burbling)
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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When a Beaver discovers a taste
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for a particular tree,
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it returns to nibble on it
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to feed for several nights.
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But also, to take these branches,
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which it will use to build and strengthen its habitat
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or to create a dam,
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enabling it to better distribute the water.
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What you can see very well here
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on these pieces of bark,
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are the teeth marks of the beavers.
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Just below the bark,
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there's a part that's highly nutritious,
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and only this part.
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And this is the beaver's favorite food.
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Over time this was used to make paracetamol,
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this is why beavers never get headaches.
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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These 6,100 hectares comprise a unique
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protected area in the Netherlands.
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And one that is now accessible to visitors.
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The best thing about the Gelderse Poort
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is that it was returned to nature 24 years ago.
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It was an agricultural landscape with cows and crops,
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and it has been returned to nature
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and nature can do what it wants.
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The river may overflow.
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The trees can grow where they want.
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The animals go where they please.
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And the countryside is becoming wilder and wilder.
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What I really like
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is that sometimes the level of the river
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is very high, and sometimes very low.
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It's a dynamic landscape and one that changes every day.
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Development of the natural areas
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has made it possible to introduce the large animals,
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such as Konik wild horses,
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found in the Gelderse Poort since 1981.
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Today, around 50 horses
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and almost 150 Scottish Galloway cows,
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maintain the landscape roaming freely.
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(serene gentle music)
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At the Gelderse Poort,
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people are free to walk and stroll
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and often come into contact with the animals
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as a consequence.
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The public are advised to keep a distance
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of 25 meters from the animals,
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since they're wild horses
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and we don't know how they'll react,
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but coexistence works very well.
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(Timon speaking in foreign language)
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(Timon laughing)
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30 years ago, the Dutch decided to recognize
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the importance of water once more.
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The dikes were lowered
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and new channels were dug.
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As a consequence, the local flora
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has been enriched by welcoming new species.
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Yuks Hameney, Research Botanist
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at the University of Nijmegen,
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has witnessed this transformation of the landscape.
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(Yuks speaking in foreign language)
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This looks like grass, but it isn't.
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It's a type of sage called needle spike rush.
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This entire plateau is covered by this plant.
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Just like the birds that live here,
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it's a typical species found on these damp and silty soils
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that have their own particular kind of vegetation.
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At least 10 species grow
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on this damp, bare and fertile soil.
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And here is one,
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marsh dock or Rumex palustris
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a very common species
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but specific to this environment,
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there's a lot of it.
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This is a nodding beggarticks
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which is also a very common species,
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but very characteristic for these damp soils.
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Also favored by the Marshall water forget-me-not,
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which you can see all over in this vegetation.
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These small blue flowers are at home
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in this fertile environment.
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In this new environment,
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certain plants colonize the space
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and do so rather too readily at times.
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Here is the Himalayan balsam,
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a very tall plant, which can reclaim and overrun an area.
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It has seized it's opportunity here
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in this countryside, which is very open.
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The species has taken hold there
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by using the water from the river,
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and has spread significantly as a result.
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It is a very attractive plant,
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with some rather amusing attributes.
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If you touch the fruit they explode.
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And you can eat them,
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and they have a distinct nutty taste.
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(Yuks speaking in foreign language)
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(water burbling)
(birds chirping)
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Floodplain forest are being invaded
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by these species.
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The question is, is this detrimental to the forest?
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And do we need to take action?
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(Yuks speaking in foreign language)
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(upbeat music)
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(birds chittering)
(smooth music)
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Attracted by this new and vast environment,
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the birds have returned to take up residence
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in the Gelderse Poort.
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Today, there are thousands of Cormorants,
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alongside Egrets and Lapwings,
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and from time to time
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you can even spot an Osprey.
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And more than 150,000 geese spend the winter here.
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(soft music)
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(ducks squawking)
(birds chirping)
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There's a famous Dutch poem,
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written by Hendrik Marsman 1936.
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Which describes the beginnings of the Delta.
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It recounts the story of the Netherlands.
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It's a kind of homage.
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Thinking of Holland,
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I picture broad rivers
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meandering through unending lowlands.
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For me, the river landscape is very special.
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I was born by the river,
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not the Waal, but the Meuse.
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The Meuse is my river,
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and I come from a small village.
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I'm the son of a bar owner.
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And I was always near the river.
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I felt like a child at the river.
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To me, the river, the water,
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the movement, the boats, everything is always dynamic.
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And at the same time,
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it stays the same.
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On one hand,
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there's this constant movement.
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And on the other, stability.
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I feel a very strong connection with the river.
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(smooth music)
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Two thirds of the Netherlands
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are vulnerable to flooding.
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Consequently for centuries,
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the inhabitants have tried in every way possible
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to prevent the sea and rivers from overflowing.
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This is where the dikes
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and the pumping stations play their part.
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This pumping station is the Delta's first.
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It's situated at the entrance
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to the city of Nijmegen,
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and is co-managed by the Germans and the Dutch.
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(water gushing)
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What's special about it,
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is that it has an innovative system
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for preserving the environment.
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There are three crossing points
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under the pump for reptiles, fish and mammals.
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When the river rises,
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this crossing is closed off.
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Yet, as long as the river level is low,
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the pumping station constitutes
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the habitat of the local fauna.
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Here, nature co-exists with the city continuously.
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(smooth music)
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We are entering the medieval city of Nijmegen.
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The river bed of the Waal was once very narrow,
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and it often burst its banks.
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To put this right,
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a second channel was dug,
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thus creating an island in the middle of the Waal.
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This channel is known as the Spiegelwaal,
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and now allows the water to disperse more easily.
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A residential district and a recreational area,
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are under development.
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Raymond Moken, board sports instructor,
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is one of the first
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to welcome the creation of this leisure park.
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Every week, the number of participants
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in his paddle yoga class,
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keeps on rising.
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(train engine roaring)
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(Raymond speaking in foreign language)
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In 2015, I heard for the first time
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that the municipality had year marked the Spiegelwaal
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for aquatic sports.
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Being self-employed,
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I was almost on the lookout
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for something new to start.
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I thought it over for a week.
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And in no time I told myself,
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I'm going to start up a small surfing and paddle business
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and I'm going to give lessons.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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And this is what we do,
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with the view of the old city, of course.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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This has completely changed my life.
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You saw today, I work outside,
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being outside makes you happy.
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Being close to the water is fantastic.
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(motor vehicle engine roaring)
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Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities
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in the Netherlands.
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Conquered by the Romans,
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it underwent expansion under Charlemagne.
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It's battle against rising water levels,
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is a historic one too.
273
00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:21,640
What remains of the Castle of Charlemagne,
274
00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:25,143
duly protected from the floods is evidence of this.
275
00:13:29,420 --> 00:13:32,650
This city only has one permanent dike.
276
00:13:32,650 --> 00:13:36,593
And this is of course a problem in such a wet region.
277
00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:42,490
1926 saw the most spectacular flood.
278
00:13:42,490 --> 00:13:44,690
In the Netherlands, working to monitor
279
00:13:44,690 --> 00:13:46,470
and maintain the water levels,
280
00:13:46,470 --> 00:13:50,360
constitutes one of the most valued professions there is.
281
00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,140
It's the Water Board or waterschap
282
00:13:53,140 --> 00:13:56,720
a real state within a state, which handles this.
283
00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,053
Yhana Khom, is one of it's managers.
284
00:14:00,060 --> 00:14:02,630
As a quarter of the country is below sea level,
285
00:14:02,630 --> 00:14:04,650
the Netherlands have developed their own way
286
00:14:04,650 --> 00:14:06,610
of dealing with rising water levels,
287
00:14:06,610 --> 00:14:09,973
the NAP or Normal Amsterdam Water Level.
288
00:14:10,868 --> 00:14:12,960
(ducks squawking)
289
00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:14,300
We've had the same levels,
290
00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:16,550
since the 19th century.
291
00:14:16,550 --> 00:14:18,380
You can see here in Nijmegen,
292
00:14:18,380 --> 00:14:21,500
we normally start at 12.5 meters
293
00:14:21,500 --> 00:14:23,950
and there it's broadly at 14 meters.
294
00:14:23,950 --> 00:14:28,910
In 1995, we had reached a level of 13.62 meters.
295
00:14:28,910 --> 00:14:31,523
This was a reason for us to strengthen protection.
296
00:14:32,487 --> 00:14:34,140
(helicopter rotors roaring)
297
00:14:34,140 --> 00:14:35,730
In the past 20 years,
298
00:14:35,730 --> 00:14:37,730
rainfall has become more intense
299
00:14:37,730 --> 00:14:40,550
and the risks of flooding are increasingly a threat.
300
00:14:40,550 --> 00:14:41,880
But in Nijmegen,
301
00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,903
they are looking for original solutions.
302
00:14:45,310 --> 00:14:46,960
This gate is closed
303
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,240
on the key side of Waal in Nijmegen,
304
00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,160
in case of flooding when the water level
305
00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:53,940
reaches 12.5 meters at Lobith,
306
00:14:53,940 --> 00:14:56,500
where the Rhine enters the Netherlands.
307
00:14:56,500 --> 00:14:58,350
And it's possible to provide protection
308
00:14:58,350 --> 00:15:00,385
up to around 17 meters.
309
00:15:00,385 --> 00:15:01,970
This is exceptional,
310
00:15:01,970 --> 00:15:04,520
and I hope I'll never experience this.
311
00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:08,230
It has already been closed once in 2011.
312
00:15:08,230 --> 00:15:09,950
The gates stayed back to 2008.
313
00:15:12,310 --> 00:15:14,930
Removable steel panels are mobilized,
314
00:15:14,930 --> 00:15:17,673
in order to shore up the gates and the dike.
315
00:15:20,070 --> 00:15:22,500
This is an example of a metal beam,
316
00:15:22,500 --> 00:15:23,333
to close what's known as a Cupier
317
00:15:23,333 --> 00:15:25,353
or cut off.
318
00:15:26,350 --> 00:15:27,490
They're stuck together,
319
00:15:27,490 --> 00:15:28,470
and the rubber strips
320
00:15:28,470 --> 00:15:30,142
create a perfect seal.
321
00:15:30,142 --> 00:15:33,809
(speaking foreign language)
322
00:15:35,168 --> 00:15:36,001
This is where the Cupier
323
00:15:36,001 --> 00:15:37,760
is assembled.
324
00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:38,920
If you can imagine,
325
00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,720
first of all, we take out this section.
326
00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,310
This is in fact the framework of the Cupier,
327
00:15:44,310 --> 00:15:46,070
so there's a double protection.
328
00:15:46,070 --> 00:15:49,420
(Yana speaking in foreign language)
329
00:15:49,420 --> 00:15:51,720
First of all a base is put in place,
330
00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,030
and the beams are stacked up on top
331
00:15:54,030 --> 00:15:56,493
one after the other, up to this level.
332
00:15:57,470 --> 00:15:58,870
In this location here,
333
00:15:58,870 --> 00:16:01,320
around eight beams are stacked together.
334
00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:02,710
And in other locations
335
00:16:02,710 --> 00:16:05,090
we may require more or fewer of them.
336
00:16:05,090 --> 00:16:08,373
Together, they seal and secure the whole city.
337
00:16:11,125 --> 00:16:13,200
The Cupier in Nijmegen,
338
00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,260
have now become critical in the battle
339
00:16:15,260 --> 00:16:17,770
against flooding in the Delta.
340
00:16:17,770 --> 00:16:19,510
Periods of high water,
341
00:16:19,510 --> 00:16:21,570
which have become genuine attractions
342
00:16:21,570 --> 00:16:22,623
in their own right.
343
00:16:25,331 --> 00:16:27,790
It was necessary to build this barrier
344
00:16:27,790 --> 00:16:29,823
right in the center of the city.
345
00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,330
Everyone who lives and strolls along here,
346
00:16:33,330 --> 00:16:35,180
wants to see the Waal.
347
00:16:35,180 --> 00:16:37,600
To enable them to have a great viewpoint,
348
00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,344
they therefore built the dike lower.
349
00:16:39,344 --> 00:16:42,040
( speaking in foreign language)
350
00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,050
The actual level is that of the wall,
351
00:16:44,050 --> 00:16:45,573
but the view is so exceptional.
352
00:16:45,573 --> 00:16:47,070
That if the level rises,
353
00:16:47,070 --> 00:16:48,990
an additional section is added
354
00:16:48,990 --> 00:16:51,180
which will also be part of the Cupier.
355
00:16:51,180 --> 00:16:54,130
(speaking in foreign language)
356
00:16:54,130 --> 00:16:56,520
We continue our journey along the Waal,
357
00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,530
and discover the Biesbosch National Park.
358
00:16:59,530 --> 00:17:02,360
Covering an area of 40,000 hectares,
359
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,630
including 7,100 under water,
360
00:17:05,630 --> 00:17:08,195
it's one of the most renowned parks in the Netherlands.
361
00:17:08,195 --> 00:17:09,211
(smooth music)
362
00:17:09,211 --> 00:17:10,044
(ducks squawking)
363
00:17:10,044 --> 00:17:11,590
The islands of Biesbosch
364
00:17:11,590 --> 00:17:14,130
came into being in 1421,
365
00:17:14,130 --> 00:17:17,480
following the great flood of St. Elizabeth.
366
00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,870
Since then, the landscape and the park
367
00:17:19,870 --> 00:17:22,170
has continued to evolve.
368
00:17:22,170 --> 00:17:23,860
In the 1970s,
369
00:17:23,860 --> 00:17:26,400
the result of the plan to close the dikes
370
00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,950
was a decrease in the natural tides,
371
00:17:28,950 --> 00:17:31,790
and the drying out of the vegetation.
372
00:17:31,790 --> 00:17:33,550
In the 1980s,
373
00:17:33,550 --> 00:17:36,950
a vast program of regeneration was launched.
374
00:17:36,950 --> 00:17:39,050
And since the 2000s,
375
00:17:39,050 --> 00:17:42,540
the water has finally been able to reclaim its place
376
00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:44,322
little by little.
377
00:17:44,322 --> 00:17:46,420
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
378
00:17:46,420 --> 00:17:48,570
In the Northern section of the park,
379
00:17:48,570 --> 00:17:51,580
the land was mainly agricultural.
380
00:17:51,580 --> 00:17:53,870
After the flood of 1995,
381
00:17:53,870 --> 00:17:58,070
the state decided to launch a large scale land inventory.
382
00:17:58,070 --> 00:18:00,570
Hundreds of farmers had to leave their farms
383
00:18:00,570 --> 00:18:02,698
to be relocated kilometers away.
384
00:18:02,698 --> 00:18:03,610
(gentle music)
385
00:18:03,610 --> 00:18:04,900
Those who stayed,
386
00:18:04,900 --> 00:18:06,030
are at a risk of a rise
387
00:18:06,030 --> 00:18:09,130
in the river level, up to 60 centimeters.
388
00:18:09,130 --> 00:18:12,132
It's why their dwellings were elevated on to mountains.
389
00:18:12,132 --> 00:18:17,132
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
390
00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,720
This unique natural reserve,
391
00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:27,540
is one of Europe's rare areas
392
00:18:27,540 --> 00:18:29,710
of fresh water in tides.
393
00:18:29,710 --> 00:18:32,395
And the wildlife is gradually returning.
394
00:18:32,395 --> 00:18:37,395
(gentle serene music)
(birds chirping)
395
00:18:39,989 --> 00:18:44,989
(water burbling)
(gentle serene music)
396
00:18:46,364 --> 00:18:48,910
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
397
00:18:48,910 --> 00:18:51,370
Several hundred different bird species
398
00:18:51,370 --> 00:18:52,830
come here for brooding.
399
00:18:52,830 --> 00:18:55,034
Notably, pairs of kingfishers.
400
00:18:55,034 --> 00:19:00,034
(birds chittering)
(gentle serene music)
401
00:19:00,222 --> 00:19:03,350
(air whooshing)
(birds chirping)
402
00:19:03,350 --> 00:19:07,610
(water burbling)
(wind whistling)
403
00:19:07,610 --> 00:19:09,440
At the heart of Biesbosch,
404
00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,120
in a place only accessible by boat.
405
00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:14,464
We meet Hennie Khama.
406
00:19:14,464 --> 00:19:16,470
she has a clear cut opinion
407
00:19:16,470 --> 00:19:18,725
on the question of the parks development.
408
00:19:18,725 --> 00:19:20,664
(wind whooshing)
409
00:19:20,664 --> 00:19:22,602
(pencil scratching)
410
00:19:22,602 --> 00:19:25,570
It has returned to how it was in the beginning.
411
00:19:25,570 --> 00:19:26,970
Since the dawn of time,
412
00:19:26,970 --> 00:19:30,130
this region aided water recovery and reclamation,
413
00:19:30,130 --> 00:19:32,703
whilst for centuries, man has tried to drain it.
414
00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:35,850
Nature responds every time.
415
00:19:35,850 --> 00:19:37,510
Take away this dike,
416
00:19:37,510 --> 00:19:38,880
let's punch a hole in it
417
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:40,313
because that's what I need.
418
00:19:41,170 --> 00:19:42,880
It was not until 1995,
419
00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,143
that we finally realized this.
420
00:19:46,350 --> 00:19:48,620
Since the end of the 1960s,
421
00:19:48,620 --> 00:19:50,410
Hennie has lived a nomadic life
422
00:19:50,410 --> 00:19:51,970
along the length of the canals,
423
00:19:51,970 --> 00:19:52,817
in the Netherlands.
424
00:19:52,817 --> 00:19:54,446
(light playful music)
425
00:19:54,446 --> 00:19:55,279
(Hennie speaking in foreign language)
426
00:19:55,279 --> 00:19:56,720
Traveling down the back roads
427
00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,110
across the whole country,
428
00:19:58,110 --> 00:20:01,000
we also ended up here, in Biesbosch.
429
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:05,080
And I said to myself, "Wow, what a place,
430
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,160
I need to stay here."
431
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,860
I had to return and eventually stay there permanently.
432
00:20:10,860 --> 00:20:12,010
As I've gotten older,
433
00:20:12,010 --> 00:20:15,080
I've spent longer periods of time there and more often.
434
00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,903
Like the bird making its nest.
435
00:20:16,903 --> 00:20:18,386
(Hennie speaking in foreign language)
436
00:20:18,386 --> 00:20:20,650
(birds chirping)
437
00:20:20,650 --> 00:20:21,770
When I look outside,
438
00:20:21,770 --> 00:20:24,660
I simply see plants, flowers.
439
00:20:24,660 --> 00:20:27,130
I don't know how many different kinds.
440
00:20:27,130 --> 00:20:29,880
And lots of these plants are edible.
441
00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,290
They are my summer vegetables.
442
00:20:32,290 --> 00:20:35,692
What's more, my soulmate has been at my side throughout.
443
00:20:35,692 --> 00:20:37,277
(birds chirping)
444
00:20:37,277 --> 00:20:39,310
(bright music)
445
00:20:39,310 --> 00:20:40,750
This is real life
446
00:20:40,750 --> 00:20:42,784
and people have forgotten that.
447
00:20:42,784 --> 00:20:45,230
They want everything from the supermarket
448
00:20:45,230 --> 00:20:48,390
and processed food, but here, the food we eat
449
00:20:48,390 --> 00:20:50,629
comes directly from nature.
450
00:20:50,629 --> 00:20:52,720
(Hennie speaking in foreign language)
451
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,300
Like the cat that catches the mouse,
452
00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:57,270
and puts it in its mouth.
453
00:20:57,270 --> 00:20:59,103
I take a leaf and eat it.
454
00:21:00,304 --> 00:21:02,887
(bright music)
455
00:21:04,633 --> 00:21:05,636
(speaking in foreign language)
456
00:21:05,636 --> 00:21:07,570
It's amazing.
457
00:21:07,570 --> 00:21:09,669
Absolutely wonderful.
458
00:21:09,669 --> 00:21:10,873
(laughs)
(lively music)
459
00:21:10,873 --> 00:21:11,980
(water burbling)
(lively music)
460
00:21:11,980 --> 00:21:14,310
Hennie, has always enjoyed painting,
461
00:21:14,310 --> 00:21:16,595
and does not expect to stop anytime soon.
462
00:21:16,595 --> 00:21:17,790
(water burbling)
(lively music)
463
00:21:17,790 --> 00:21:18,920
She will continue,
464
00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,227
as long as the spirit of the Biesbosch lives on.
465
00:21:22,227 --> 00:21:23,520
(upbeat music)
466
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:24,441
Moving along the tributaries of the Waal,
467
00:21:24,441 --> 00:21:27,073
we spot Kinderdijk,
468
00:21:27,980 --> 00:21:30,356
a village situated at the mouth of the lake.
469
00:21:30,356 --> 00:21:31,360
(upbeat music)
470
00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:34,780
On this site, 19 magnificent windmills,
471
00:21:34,780 --> 00:21:38,620
make up one of the iconic images of the Netherlands.
472
00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:41,452
These mills were built around 1740.
473
00:21:41,452 --> 00:21:42,890
(upbeat music)
474
00:21:42,890 --> 00:21:44,550
In 1997,
475
00:21:44,550 --> 00:21:47,647
this site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
476
00:21:47,647 --> 00:21:48,770
(upbeat music)
477
00:21:48,770 --> 00:21:51,620
Not as common place as the flour mills,
478
00:21:51,620 --> 00:21:55,415
watermills also use the power of the wind.
479
00:21:55,415 --> 00:21:56,360
(lively music)
480
00:21:56,360 --> 00:21:57,790
For a long time,
481
00:21:57,790 --> 00:22:00,996
they were essential for pumping water from the polders.
482
00:22:00,996 --> 00:22:02,494
(upbeat music)
483
00:22:02,494 --> 00:22:05,020
(metal clanking)
(upbeat music)
484
00:22:05,020 --> 00:22:08,100
The watermill, belonging to Rob Van Zeil,
485
00:22:08,100 --> 00:22:09,370
is one of the very few
486
00:22:09,370 --> 00:22:11,638
to still be operational, on the Delta.
487
00:22:11,638 --> 00:22:14,415
(ethereal music)
488
00:22:14,415 --> 00:22:17,165
(wind whooshing)
489
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:25,230
The idea is that the wind
490
00:22:25,230 --> 00:22:27,301
blows square onto the rains.
491
00:22:27,301 --> 00:22:29,700
This afternoon, you saw how I turned the vanes
492
00:22:29,700 --> 00:22:31,030
toward the wind.
493
00:22:31,030 --> 00:22:32,430
How I hooked up the sails
494
00:22:32,430 --> 00:22:34,123
and that I made the mill turn.
495
00:22:35,900 --> 00:22:36,950
When the mill's turning
496
00:22:36,950 --> 00:22:39,150
for example, I can't go shopping.
497
00:22:39,150 --> 00:22:40,020
I have to keep watch.
498
00:22:40,020 --> 00:22:42,500
It works according to how the weather is,
499
00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:43,520
which is changeable
500
00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:45,400
and you saw that this afternoon.
501
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,600
There was some sunshine and now it's cloudy.
502
00:22:52,989 --> 00:22:54,460
(speaking in foreign language)
I always wanted to live
503
00:22:54,460 --> 00:22:55,940
close to a windmill.
504
00:22:55,940 --> 00:22:57,360
And 28 years ago,
505
00:22:57,360 --> 00:22:58,915
I got this opportunity here.
506
00:22:58,915 --> 00:23:00,760
(speaking in foreign language)
507
00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:01,610
I embraced it
508
00:23:01,610 --> 00:23:03,283
and I've never regretted my life.
509
00:23:04,666 --> 00:23:08,320
(windmill whooshing)
510
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,120
Dean is 12 years old,
511
00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:12,920
and comes every Saturday to train as a miller.
512
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,072
Just like Rob did at the same age.
513
00:23:15,072 --> 00:23:17,710
(Rob speaking in foreign language)
514
00:23:17,710 --> 00:23:19,310
You can set two of them half way
515
00:23:19,310 --> 00:23:20,223
and that's fine.
516
00:23:21,410 --> 00:23:23,404
Great sails, ey?
517
00:23:23,404 --> 00:23:24,404
Mmh.
518
00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:28,973
So,
519
00:23:30,230 --> 00:23:31,063
like that?
520
00:23:31,063 --> 00:23:31,896
I think so.
521
00:23:31,896 --> 00:23:33,400
What do you think?
522
00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:34,901
Yeah.
523
00:23:34,901 --> 00:23:36,030
I think.
524
00:23:36,030 --> 00:23:36,863
If you finished,
525
00:23:36,863 --> 00:23:38,639
you can raise the sails.
526
00:23:38,639 --> 00:23:39,722
Okay.
527
00:23:40,872 --> 00:23:45,613
(wind whooshing)
(gentle music)
528
00:23:45,613 --> 00:23:48,730
(windmill whooshing)
(gentle music)
529
00:23:48,730 --> 00:23:50,980
At Kinderdijk, the windmills
530
00:23:50,980 --> 00:23:53,469
are admittedly only turning for the tourists.
531
00:23:53,469 --> 00:23:56,240
(upbeat music)
532
00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,030
Nonetheless, the site
533
00:23:58,030 --> 00:24:00,650
remains one of the most important pumping stations
534
00:24:00,650 --> 00:24:02,890
in the Netherlands, as all the water
535
00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:06,132
from Germany, and from the mountains, moves through there.
536
00:24:06,132 --> 00:24:07,050
(upbeat music)
537
00:24:07,050 --> 00:24:10,070
The pumps sends the water into the reservoirs,
538
00:24:10,070 --> 00:24:11,680
connected to the rivers,
539
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,611
which will then empty into the sea.
540
00:24:13,611 --> 00:24:14,510
(upbeat music)
541
00:24:14,510 --> 00:24:16,500
Engineer Hans Vastnehoud,
542
00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:18,658
monitors operation of the pumps.
543
00:24:18,658 --> 00:24:19,736
(upbeat music)
544
00:24:19,736 --> 00:24:22,070
(Hans speaking in foreign language)
545
00:24:22,070 --> 00:24:23,610
The last time we had a flood
546
00:24:23,610 --> 00:24:25,499
was around 1995.
547
00:24:25,499 --> 00:24:27,974
(Hans speaking in foreign language)
548
00:24:27,974 --> 00:24:29,440
It was a real emergency,
549
00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,470
since the rivers were very high.
550
00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:34,040
And one of the pumping stations broke down,
551
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:35,216
right to that moment.
552
00:24:35,216 --> 00:24:36,080
(Hans speaking in foreign language)
553
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:37,620
We had to get mobile pumps
554
00:24:37,620 --> 00:24:39,190
from the North of the country,
555
00:24:39,190 --> 00:24:41,069
to pump the water here, to the rivers.
556
00:24:41,069 --> 00:24:43,870
(Hans speaking in foreign language)
557
00:24:43,870 --> 00:24:45,290
In times of flood,
558
00:24:45,290 --> 00:24:47,270
it's essential to use the pumps
559
00:24:47,270 --> 00:24:49,040
to avert a disaster,
560
00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:50,740
monitor the water level,
561
00:24:50,740 --> 00:24:53,650
or even work to lower it.
562
00:24:53,650 --> 00:24:56,550
The pumps rely on an Archimedes Screw.
563
00:24:56,550 --> 00:24:57,920
This screw system,
564
00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,710
invented in ancient times
565
00:24:59,710 --> 00:25:01,960
then developed by Leonardo da Vinci,
566
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:03,700
allows the liquid to travel
567
00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:04,943
along the length of this screw.
568
00:25:04,943 --> 00:25:07,028
(water spattering)
569
00:25:07,028 --> 00:25:09,114
(Hans speaking in foreign language)
570
00:25:09,114 --> 00:25:11,390
We are now a well oiled operation,
571
00:25:11,390 --> 00:25:14,220
and we can forecast emergency situations
572
00:25:14,220 --> 00:25:15,705
and respond in advance.
573
00:25:15,705 --> 00:25:19,830
(speaking in foreign language)
574
00:25:19,830 --> 00:25:22,220
But the weather remains unpredictable.
575
00:25:22,220 --> 00:25:24,610
And if suddenly we have heavy rains,
576
00:25:24,610 --> 00:25:26,516
which do occur in this region,
577
00:25:26,516 --> 00:25:28,333
we have to act immediately.
578
00:25:30,270 --> 00:25:32,100
And it's possible that I'll receive a call
579
00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:34,709
in the night, to come and start up the machines.
580
00:25:34,709 --> 00:25:36,655
(Hans speaking in foreign language)
581
00:25:36,655 --> 00:25:39,071
(wind whooshing)
582
00:25:39,071 --> 00:25:43,714
(gentle music)
(wind whooshing)
583
00:25:43,714 --> 00:25:44,547
(gentle music)
584
00:25:44,547 --> 00:25:45,380
(gentle serene music)
585
00:25:48,980 --> 00:25:51,750
Following our route towards the Southwest,
586
00:25:51,750 --> 00:25:53,952
we enter the Delta's maritime zone.
587
00:25:53,952 --> 00:25:56,702
(ethereal music)
588
00:25:59,910 --> 00:26:02,430
The Haringvliet is an estuary,
589
00:26:02,430 --> 00:26:03,680
which had to be closed
590
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,807
because of storms and floods.
591
00:26:05,807 --> 00:26:09,290
Unfortunately, this safety comes at a price.
592
00:26:09,290 --> 00:26:11,510
Many species have disappeared,
593
00:26:11,510 --> 00:26:13,660
or left the estuary.
594
00:26:13,660 --> 00:26:17,056
Today, there is the possibility of reopening it partially.
595
00:26:17,056 --> 00:26:19,806
(ethereal music)
596
00:26:22,597 --> 00:26:23,980
(bird chirping)
(ethereal music)
597
00:26:23,980 --> 00:26:25,270
The Haringvliet,
598
00:26:25,270 --> 00:26:27,581
is home to the island Tiengemeten.
599
00:26:27,581 --> 00:26:29,200
(gentle music)
600
00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,630
Originally, this island was largely agricultural,
601
00:26:32,630 --> 00:26:35,554
before becoming a nature reserve in 2007,
602
00:26:35,554 --> 00:26:36,387
(ethereal music)
603
00:26:36,387 --> 00:26:39,960
managed by an Environmental Protection Association.
604
00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:41,710
Only around 10 farmers,
605
00:26:41,710 --> 00:26:43,500
still live on the island,
606
00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:45,234
where vehicles are banned.
607
00:26:45,234 --> 00:26:47,984
(ethereal music)
(motor boat engine running)
608
00:27:01,308 --> 00:27:06,308
(birds chirping)
(gentle serene music)
609
00:27:07,423 --> 00:27:12,423
(gentle music)
(birds chirping)
610
00:27:12,909 --> 00:27:13,984
(birds chittering)
(gentle music)
611
00:27:13,984 --> 00:27:16,100
Thijsse Vise, one of the volunteers
612
00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:18,560
from the Natuurmonumenten Association,
613
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,380
is a retired teacher.
614
00:27:20,380 --> 00:27:23,480
Thijsse knows Tiengemeten inside out.
615
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,313
(bird chattering)
616
00:27:27,507 --> 00:27:28,420
(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)
617
00:27:28,420 --> 00:27:30,840
In different locations on Tiengemeten,
618
00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,960
it's possible to see that the water
619
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:34,170
which surrounds the island,
620
00:27:34,170 --> 00:27:36,880
the Haringvliet was salty.
621
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,850
Here and there you come across salt loving plants.
622
00:27:39,850 --> 00:27:42,090
They're called halophytes.
623
00:27:42,090 --> 00:27:44,490
Here you'll find common sea buckthorn.
624
00:27:44,490 --> 00:27:46,160
You can see two large shrubs
625
00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,430
and smaller ones, which take root here very readily.
626
00:27:49,430 --> 00:27:51,545
Which means that there's still salt in the ground.
627
00:27:51,545 --> 00:27:53,530
(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)
628
00:27:53,530 --> 00:27:54,585
(insects skittering)
(wind whooshing)
629
00:27:54,585 --> 00:27:55,852
(birds chirping)
630
00:27:55,852 --> 00:27:57,121
(wind whooshing)
631
00:27:57,121 --> 00:27:58,453
(birds chirping)
(wind whooshing)
632
00:27:58,453 --> 00:27:59,771
(birds chirping)
633
00:27:59,771 --> 00:28:01,000
(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)
634
00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,530
A few years ago here,
635
00:28:02,530 --> 00:28:05,130
we counted the number of nesting sites.
636
00:28:05,130 --> 00:28:07,480
We discovered that more than 90 species
637
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,720
of birds come to reproduce.
638
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:12,900
Including 29 on the Red List.
639
00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:15,600
The Red List is a group of threatened birds,
640
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,010
which are now very rare.
641
00:28:17,010 --> 00:28:19,060
Which must be looked after.
642
00:28:19,060 --> 00:28:21,550
So the fact that lots of birds are reproducing,
643
00:28:21,550 --> 00:28:23,540
including some very rare ones,
644
00:28:23,540 --> 00:28:25,190
is a sign that our association
645
00:28:25,190 --> 00:28:26,582
has done a good job.
646
00:28:26,582 --> 00:28:28,747
(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)
647
00:28:28,747 --> 00:28:31,750
(birds chittering)
648
00:28:31,750 --> 00:28:34,680
The Spoonbill is very much a Dutch bird.
649
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,483
One of the symbols of the Natuurmonumenten Association,
650
00:28:38,350 --> 00:28:40,820
and previously featured on its logo.
651
00:28:40,820 --> 00:28:42,200
If there are spoonbills present,
652
00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,920
it's a sign that here at Tiengemeten,
653
00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,820
the quality of the water is good,
654
00:28:46,820 --> 00:28:48,930
because this is where they find their food,
655
00:28:48,930 --> 00:28:50,391
and that's crucial.
656
00:28:50,391 --> 00:28:51,325
(Thijsse speaking foreign language)
657
00:28:51,325 --> 00:28:54,760
(birds chittering)
658
00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:55,700
The Northern lapwing
659
00:28:55,700 --> 00:28:57,880
is a typical Dutch field bird.
660
00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,670
And we actually saw two large groups this afternoon.
661
00:29:00,670 --> 00:29:02,260
I think they've gathered
662
00:29:02,260 --> 00:29:04,690
to get a sense of what the winter holds.
663
00:29:04,690 --> 00:29:06,300
If it's cold, there'll leave.
664
00:29:06,300 --> 00:29:07,480
If it's quite mild,
665
00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:08,782
they'll stay where they are.
666
00:29:08,782 --> 00:29:10,417
(Thijsse speaking in foreign language)
667
00:29:10,417 --> 00:29:15,417
(birds chittering)
(smooth music)
668
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:25,550
At the South of the Delta,
669
00:29:25,550 --> 00:29:29,840
over 37,000 hectares of the Oosterschelde National Park
670
00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,363
open out to the North Sea.
671
00:29:31,363 --> 00:29:33,946
(upbeat music)
672
00:29:38,943 --> 00:29:43,943
(waves crashing)
(upbeat music)
673
00:29:48,748 --> 00:29:51,070
(waves crashing)
(upbeat music)
674
00:29:51,070 --> 00:29:53,450
Sand banks and moist meadows
675
00:29:53,450 --> 00:29:56,070
provide areas of refuge and food
676
00:29:56,070 --> 00:29:58,600
to thousands of birds and seals,
677
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,000
which are the main local residents.
678
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:02,410
Two species of seals,
679
00:30:02,410 --> 00:30:04,120
co-exist in this park.
680
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,788
The gray seal and the common seal.
681
00:30:06,788 --> 00:30:09,633
(birds chirping)
(playful music)
682
00:30:09,633 --> 00:30:12,383
(waves crashing)
683
00:30:16,146 --> 00:30:18,015
(seal growling)
684
00:30:18,015 --> 00:30:20,682
(playful music)
685
00:30:31,425 --> 00:30:32,913
(seal growling)
(playful music)
686
00:30:32,913 --> 00:30:35,663
(waves crashing)
687
00:30:40,020 --> 00:30:42,860
But many dangers lurk here too.
688
00:30:42,860 --> 00:30:47,140
In 1953, a huge storm battered than North Sea,
689
00:30:47,140 --> 00:30:48,890
followed by a flood surge,
690
00:30:48,890 --> 00:30:52,275
resulting in the deaths of 1,800 people
691
00:30:52,275 --> 00:30:55,251
and 50,000 heads of cattle.
692
00:30:55,251 --> 00:30:58,880
72,000 people had to be evacuated.
693
00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,760
This disaster remains etched in the Dutch memory,
694
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,431
as a veritable national trauma.
695
00:31:04,431 --> 00:31:07,181
(ethereal music)
696
00:31:13,438 --> 00:31:16,355
(crowd chattering)
697
00:31:19,295 --> 00:31:20,450
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
698
00:31:20,450 --> 00:31:23,350
People knew that the dikes were too low.
699
00:31:23,350 --> 00:31:26,235
The storm was generated by two depressions
700
00:31:26,235 --> 00:31:31,235
which came together between Scotland and Iceland.
701
00:31:31,606 --> 00:31:34,910
They triggered a storm lasting 32 hours,
702
00:31:34,910 --> 00:31:38,130
which made the water rise above the dikes.
703
00:31:38,130 --> 00:31:38,963
Half the dike
704
00:31:38,963 --> 00:31:42,500
was unable to withstand the force and collapsed.
705
00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:44,850
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
706
00:31:44,850 --> 00:31:45,820
This is where stories
707
00:31:45,820 --> 00:31:47,140
of the people come from,
708
00:31:47,140 --> 00:31:48,990
who were inside their homes.
709
00:31:48,990 --> 00:31:49,823
It was dark,
710
00:31:49,823 --> 00:31:52,743
and they could see a wall of sea water approaching.
711
00:31:52,743 --> 00:31:57,076
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
712
00:31:59,369 --> 00:32:00,390
(crowd applauding)
713
00:32:00,390 --> 00:32:01,720
I can go on for hours
714
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:03,098
telling you these stories.
715
00:32:03,098 --> 00:32:04,231
That's my problem.
716
00:32:04,231 --> 00:32:05,665
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
717
00:32:05,665 --> 00:32:07,447
(laughs)
718
00:32:07,447 --> 00:32:10,530
(car engine revving)
719
00:32:13,777 --> 00:32:15,380
Jaap Schoepp was nine
720
00:32:15,380 --> 00:32:17,800
at the time of this tragic event.
721
00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:19,370
The farm he lived on with his parents,
722
00:32:19,370 --> 00:32:22,710
was then left completely submerged.
723
00:32:22,710 --> 00:32:24,710
He doesn't live there now,
724
00:32:24,710 --> 00:32:25,580
but remembers.
725
00:32:25,580 --> 00:32:28,534
(ethereal music)
726
00:32:28,534 --> 00:32:33,534
(wind whooshing)
(ethereal music)
727
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,230
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
728
00:32:37,230 --> 00:32:38,220
We could see what was happening
729
00:32:38,220 --> 00:32:40,033
outside from this window.
730
00:32:41,060 --> 00:32:43,360
We could see the waves, the neighbor,
731
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,371
the house of the employee who disappeared.
732
00:32:45,371 --> 00:32:47,410
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
733
00:32:47,410 --> 00:32:50,660
And when it really started to gush,
734
00:32:50,660 --> 00:32:54,530
my mum and dad took us with my brother and my little sister
735
00:32:54,530 --> 00:32:56,020
to the other side of the farm.
736
00:32:56,020 --> 00:33:00,687
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
737
00:33:01,940 --> 00:33:02,909
To stop us seeing it.
738
00:33:02,909 --> 00:33:06,113
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
739
00:33:06,113 --> 00:33:07,587
(wind whooshing)
740
00:33:07,587 --> 00:33:08,526
(Jaap laughs)
741
00:33:08,526 --> 00:33:11,841
(wind whooshing)
742
00:33:11,841 --> 00:33:13,640
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
743
00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:14,820
On a Tuesday,
744
00:33:14,820 --> 00:33:16,770
we were rescued by fishermen
745
00:33:16,770 --> 00:33:19,300
who took us by boat to Rotterdam,
746
00:33:19,300 --> 00:33:20,414
to one of my aunts.
747
00:33:20,414 --> 00:33:21,910
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
748
00:33:21,910 --> 00:33:24,650
And that's when people came to tell us,
749
00:33:24,650 --> 00:33:27,800
that they'd seen how my grandmother had drowned.
750
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:30,020
How the house had collapsed,
751
00:33:30,020 --> 00:33:33,321
and how they floated out on the roof hitting trees.
752
00:33:33,321 --> 00:33:34,580
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
753
00:33:34,580 --> 00:33:35,413
The roof tipped over.
754
00:33:35,413 --> 00:33:38,080
And this is how my grandmother,
755
00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:40,409
my aunt and my niece all drowned.
756
00:33:40,409 --> 00:33:43,664
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
757
00:33:43,664 --> 00:33:46,414
(wind whooshing)
758
00:33:47,249 --> 00:33:48,470
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
759
00:33:48,470 --> 00:33:49,820
In the future,
760
00:33:49,820 --> 00:33:52,423
we need to be aware that this can happen again.
761
00:33:53,570 --> 00:33:56,020
And it will happen again without doubt.
762
00:33:56,020 --> 00:33:57,970
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
763
00:33:57,970 --> 00:34:00,230
Under the influence of climate change,
764
00:34:00,230 --> 00:34:01,320
everything will change.
765
00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,733
But nature will come out on top.
766
00:34:03,733 --> 00:34:05,787
(Jaap speaking in foreign language)
767
00:34:05,787 --> 00:34:07,215
(waves crashing)
768
00:34:07,215 --> 00:34:09,560
(upbeat music)
769
00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,810
After 1953, measures to protect
770
00:34:12,810 --> 00:34:16,521
against storms and rising waters, became a priority.
771
00:34:16,521 --> 00:34:19,104
(upbeat music)
772
00:34:21,050 --> 00:34:23,520
This was how the Oosterschelde Storm
773
00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,760
Surge Barrier came into being.
774
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,760
The first large scale storm protection,
775
00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,986
construction of which was completed in 1986.
776
00:34:31,986 --> 00:34:33,700
(upbeat music)
777
00:34:33,700 --> 00:34:35,850
Extending for nine kilometers,
778
00:34:35,850 --> 00:34:37,340
it's very spectacular,
779
00:34:37,340 --> 00:34:40,050
because it's only partially closed.
780
00:34:40,050 --> 00:34:42,500
It leaves room for the daily tides
781
00:34:42,500 --> 00:34:44,620
and is lowered in its entirety
782
00:34:44,620 --> 00:34:45,880
if the tide exceeds
783
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,603
the Amsterdam water level, by three meters.
784
00:34:49,890 --> 00:34:53,290
This has occurred a total of 27 occasions,
785
00:34:53,290 --> 00:34:54,878
since it's erection.
786
00:34:54,878 --> 00:34:55,830
(upbeat music)
787
00:34:55,830 --> 00:34:57,920
When the barrier was constructed,
788
00:34:57,920 --> 00:34:59,151
ecologists and fishermen
789
00:34:59,151 --> 00:35:01,410
were the first to oppose its full closure.
790
00:35:01,410 --> 00:35:02,470
(upbeat music)
791
00:35:02,470 --> 00:35:05,400
This would have caused an ecological disaster
792
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,169
in particular for fishing.
793
00:35:07,169 --> 00:35:10,461
Oyster and mussel cultures are in fact vital
794
00:35:10,461 --> 00:35:12,061
to the fishermen in the park.
795
00:35:12,061 --> 00:35:14,644
(bright music)
796
00:35:18,945 --> 00:35:21,862
(machine whirring)
797
00:35:24,045 --> 00:35:26,880
One of the main fishing businesses in the Marine park,
798
00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:29,413
is the one belonging to Jaap Schott.
799
00:35:31,020 --> 00:35:32,630
For around a hundred years,
800
00:35:32,630 --> 00:35:36,370
we've been cultivating mussels in Oosterschelde park.
801
00:35:36,370 --> 00:35:38,980
In 1912, my great grandfather
802
00:35:38,980 --> 00:35:41,332
set up here to fish for mussels.
803
00:35:41,332 --> 00:35:42,810
The Oosterschelde park,
804
00:35:42,810 --> 00:35:44,200
is a protected inlet
805
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,570
and the North Sea brings a cool current.
806
00:35:46,570 --> 00:35:48,470
This is what's unique about this park.
807
00:35:50,925 --> 00:35:52,760
Jaap Schott has been a fishermen
808
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,630
for more than 40 years.
809
00:35:54,630 --> 00:35:57,640
He was still young when the barrier was built.
810
00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,480
But even if it only closes partially,
811
00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,622
there are consequences for the marine environment.
812
00:36:03,622 --> 00:36:06,372
(metal clanking)
813
00:36:11,010 --> 00:36:13,230
We shouldn't interfere with nature.
814
00:36:13,230 --> 00:36:15,550
If we do interfere when it comes to nature,
815
00:36:15,550 --> 00:36:16,853
the current will migrate.
816
00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:21,330
Indeed, the decline in ocean current
817
00:36:21,330 --> 00:36:24,370
has modified the biotope to some extent.
818
00:36:24,370 --> 00:36:26,050
Certain species flourish
819
00:36:26,050 --> 00:36:27,860
such as the ophiuroids,
820
00:36:27,860 --> 00:36:30,193
not to be confused with starfish.
821
00:36:31,712 --> 00:36:34,630
Before 1986 and the barrier,
822
00:36:34,630 --> 00:36:37,220
there was more current in the Marine Park.
823
00:36:37,220 --> 00:36:38,590
Since then a certain number
824
00:36:38,590 --> 00:36:40,420
of mussels colonies have decreased,
825
00:36:40,420 --> 00:36:42,340
because there's less current.
826
00:36:42,340 --> 00:36:44,690
In some locations this has been fine,
827
00:36:44,690 --> 00:36:46,760
but overall it has had a major impact
828
00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:48,860
on fishing in the Marine Park.
829
00:36:48,860 --> 00:36:49,810
It would have been better
830
00:36:49,810 --> 00:36:52,270
if they quite simply left the park open.
831
00:36:52,270 --> 00:36:54,070
Because it was much better before,
832
00:36:54,070 --> 00:36:56,550
even if we had to go great distances to fish,
833
00:36:56,550 --> 00:36:57,673
fishing was good.
834
00:36:57,673 --> 00:36:59,444
(Schott speaking in foreign language)
835
00:36:59,444 --> 00:37:02,027
(upbeat music)
836
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,526
(boat engine revving)
837
00:37:17,526 --> 00:37:18,664
(waves crashing)
838
00:37:18,664 --> 00:37:21,530
Franz Speghahen, was one of the main engineers
839
00:37:21,530 --> 00:37:22,528
on the barrier.
840
00:37:22,528 --> 00:37:26,187
He returns occasionally to visit the teams.
841
00:37:33,332 --> 00:37:34,607
(speaking in foreign language)
842
00:37:34,607 --> 00:37:36,031
(woman speaking in foreign language)
843
00:37:36,031 --> 00:37:38,940
(speaking in foreign language)
844
00:37:38,940 --> 00:37:41,730
Nothing seems to have changed in 35 years.
845
00:37:41,730 --> 00:37:42,633
Isn't that right?
846
00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:44,930
That's correct.
847
00:37:46,430 --> 00:37:48,610
(Franz speaking in foreign language)
848
00:37:48,610 --> 00:37:50,090
Based on my own perceptions
849
00:37:50,090 --> 00:37:53,240
and observations, quite clearly the tide dropped
850
00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:55,230
because of the barrier.
851
00:37:55,230 --> 00:37:57,980
This definitely has an effect on the composition of life
852
00:37:57,980 --> 00:38:00,023
in the Oosterschelde Park.
853
00:38:00,023 --> 00:38:03,012
But I suspect there's still a wealth of life in the park.
854
00:38:03,012 --> 00:38:05,240
(Franz speaking in foreign language)
855
00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:08,440
Changes are both positive and negative.
856
00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:10,690
If we take the example of the seals,
857
00:38:10,690 --> 00:38:12,390
there hasn't been a decrease.
858
00:38:12,390 --> 00:38:14,167
Numbers have actually improved.
859
00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:16,520
(Franz speaking in foreign language)
860
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,780
But in an era of global warming,
861
00:38:18,780 --> 00:38:21,230
is the Oosterschelde Barrier still enough
862
00:38:21,230 --> 00:38:22,935
to protect this area of the Delta?
863
00:38:22,935 --> 00:38:25,318
(waves crashing)
864
00:38:25,318 --> 00:38:26,151
(Franz speaking foreign language)
865
00:38:26,151 --> 00:38:28,580
There are several climatic scenarios
866
00:38:28,580 --> 00:38:30,110
as we all know.
867
00:38:30,110 --> 00:38:33,190
But the forecast are that at the end of this century,
868
00:38:33,190 --> 00:38:36,363
the sea level might rise a maximum of one meter.
869
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,080
And this will have huge impact on this structure.
870
00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:43,012
But also on the whole inner area.
871
00:38:43,012 --> 00:38:46,530
(Franz speaking in foreign language)
872
00:38:46,530 --> 00:38:49,520
My prediction is that in 2100,
873
00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,063
with the one meter rise in water levels,
874
00:38:53,030 --> 00:38:55,200
the barrier won't be as robust
875
00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:56,650
and we'll be called on to fill it
876
00:38:56,650 --> 00:38:58,550
in with sand and remove it.
877
00:38:58,550 --> 00:39:01,003
(Franz speaking in foreign language)
878
00:39:01,003 --> 00:39:02,100
(ethereal music)
879
00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:05,370
Such a scenario is no longer science fiction,
880
00:39:05,370 --> 00:39:07,960
at a time when the issue of rising water levels
881
00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,210
it's pressing more than ever
882
00:39:10,210 --> 00:39:12,305
along the entire length of the Delta.
883
00:39:12,305 --> 00:39:13,950
(ethereal music)
884
00:39:13,950 --> 00:39:17,020
Heading North, we come to the Maasvlakte,
885
00:39:17,020 --> 00:39:19,290
the industrial port of Rotterdam.
886
00:39:19,290 --> 00:39:21,300
Which is where we find the latest structure
887
00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:22,456
to protect the Delta.
888
00:39:22,456 --> 00:39:23,500
(birds chirping)
(ethereal music)
889
00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:26,340
The largest protection barrier in the world,
890
00:39:26,340 --> 00:39:30,168
The Maeslantkering was inaugurated in 1997.
891
00:39:30,168 --> 00:39:31,230
(ethereal music)
892
00:39:31,230 --> 00:39:32,631
In the first instance,
893
00:39:32,631 --> 00:39:34,987
this is a technological revolution
894
00:39:34,987 --> 00:39:37,187
which protects 2,000,000 people.
895
00:39:37,187 --> 00:39:39,520
(gentle music)
896
00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,870
The barrier is one kilometer from the open sea,
897
00:39:42,870 --> 00:39:45,410
and includes two vast gates.
898
00:39:45,410 --> 00:39:46,500
When opened,
899
00:39:46,500 --> 00:39:48,220
which is generally the case,
900
00:39:48,220 --> 00:39:50,232
it's gates remain on firm ground.
901
00:39:50,232 --> 00:39:52,140
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
902
00:39:52,140 --> 00:39:54,010
If the structure needs to be closed
903
00:39:54,010 --> 00:39:55,600
in the event of a storm,
904
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,630
the two gates, each one
905
00:39:57,630 --> 00:40:01,960
210 meters in size, join before thrusting down
906
00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:03,487
into the deepest ocean depths.
907
00:40:03,487 --> 00:40:06,500
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
908
00:40:06,500 --> 00:40:07,550
Once a year,
909
00:40:07,550 --> 00:40:11,250
the closing operation of the barrier is tested.
910
00:40:11,250 --> 00:40:13,510
The occasion of a popular event
911
00:40:13,510 --> 00:40:15,739
close to the industrial Port of Rotterdam.
912
00:40:15,739 --> 00:40:20,359
(children chattering)
(water burbling)
913
00:40:20,359 --> 00:40:22,942
(lively music)
914
00:40:27,330 --> 00:40:28,560
One of the participants,
915
00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:30,060
seems even more attentive
916
00:40:30,060 --> 00:40:31,360
than the others.
917
00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:34,433
Jan van Oscholt was one of the barrier engineers.
918
00:40:34,433 --> 00:40:36,119
(crowd applauding)
919
00:40:36,119 --> 00:40:38,540
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
920
00:40:38,540 --> 00:40:40,130
The government had enlisted us,
921
00:40:40,130 --> 00:40:43,093
to come up with a storm barrier construction project.
922
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:45,890
We had a few ideas,
923
00:40:45,890 --> 00:40:48,133
but we didn't know at all where to build it.
924
00:40:49,770 --> 00:40:52,560
Consequently, I came here one Sunday morning
925
00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:55,620
for a walk with my wife amongst the ship.
926
00:40:55,620 --> 00:40:57,096
And I said to her jokingly,
927
00:40:57,096 --> 00:40:59,087
"What about putting it there?"
928
00:41:00,850 --> 00:41:04,943
20 years later, I come back here and there it is.
929
00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:08,323
It's a great feeling.
930
00:41:09,947 --> 00:41:13,280
(ship horn blowing)
931
00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:16,540
Jan recalls the day
932
00:41:16,540 --> 00:41:17,720
when he saw the barrier
933
00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,081
being put into service for the first time.
934
00:41:20,081 --> 00:41:23,557
(ethereal music)
935
00:41:23,557 --> 00:41:26,160
It was at the time of the inauguration,
936
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:29,850
of it becoming operational in 1997.
937
00:41:29,850 --> 00:41:32,150
The Queen had the task of pressing the button,
938
00:41:32,990 --> 00:41:34,430
and afterwards they demonstrated
939
00:41:34,430 --> 00:41:36,464
the closing operation like now.
940
00:41:36,464 --> 00:41:39,300
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
941
00:41:39,300 --> 00:41:41,850
I remember it very well.
942
00:41:41,850 --> 00:41:43,920
Mission accomplished.
943
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:47,693
In total, the barrier will have taken 30 minutes to close.
944
00:41:47,693 --> 00:41:49,117
(lively music)
945
00:41:49,117 --> 00:41:50,744
(laughs)
946
00:41:50,744 --> 00:41:51,620
(speaking in foreign language)
947
00:41:51,620 --> 00:41:53,410
I'm proud that everything works
948
00:41:53,410 --> 00:41:55,153
as envisaged, as it ought to.
949
00:41:56,290 --> 00:41:57,883
They did a lot of work.
950
00:41:57,883 --> 00:41:59,679
It was pretty intense.
951
00:41:59,679 --> 00:42:01,530
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
952
00:42:01,530 --> 00:42:03,275
Now we can see it operational.
953
00:42:03,275 --> 00:42:07,060
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
954
00:42:07,060 --> 00:42:08,454
Yeah, proud.
955
00:42:08,454 --> 00:42:12,000
(ethereal music)
956
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:13,620
The Maeslantkering
957
00:42:13,620 --> 00:42:16,047
has only really had to be closed twice.
958
00:42:16,047 --> 00:42:19,340
(upbeat music)
959
00:42:19,340 --> 00:42:23,580
The last occasion quite recently in January, 2018
960
00:42:23,580 --> 00:42:25,580
during storm Eleanor.
961
00:42:25,580 --> 00:42:27,830
For the first time in their history,
962
00:42:27,830 --> 00:42:31,210
the five main protection systems on the Dutch coast
963
00:42:31,210 --> 00:42:33,320
were closed simultaneously.
964
00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:34,910
(gentle music)
965
00:42:34,910 --> 00:42:37,100
But closing The Maeslantkering,
966
00:42:37,100 --> 00:42:38,971
remains a high level exercise,
967
00:42:38,971 --> 00:42:41,840
since it means interrupting all activity
968
00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:44,200
at the industrial Port in Rotterdam,
969
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:47,530
none other than the biggest port in Europe.
970
00:42:47,530 --> 00:42:49,600
Around 1000 ports in the world
971
00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:51,500
have connections with Rotterdam,
972
00:42:51,500 --> 00:42:54,543
including 500 via regular lines.
973
00:42:55,500 --> 00:42:57,160
The Port of Rotterdam,
974
00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:59,390
therefore has a ringside seat
975
00:42:59,390 --> 00:43:01,640
in the event of rising water levels,
976
00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:03,712
and its business never stops.
977
00:43:03,712 --> 00:43:06,820
(car engines revving)
978
00:43:06,820 --> 00:43:08,993
A dynamic city like Rotterdam,
979
00:43:10,110 --> 00:43:11,750
is the ideal laboratory
980
00:43:11,750 --> 00:43:14,502
for testing new business models on water.
981
00:43:14,502 --> 00:43:17,085
(upbeat music)
982
00:43:24,470 --> 00:43:27,130
Vert Hoeffen is part of the new generation
983
00:43:27,130 --> 00:43:30,160
of architects, concerned with urbanization
984
00:43:30,160 --> 00:43:32,295
and the environment in equal measure.
985
00:43:32,295 --> 00:43:35,253
(upbeat music)
986
00:43:35,253 --> 00:43:36,280
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
987
00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:37,113
The water taxi
988
00:43:37,113 --> 00:43:38,570
is a perfect way of traveling
989
00:43:38,570 --> 00:43:40,430
from one place to another.
990
00:43:40,430 --> 00:43:41,590
There are no traffic lights
991
00:43:41,590 --> 00:43:43,783
and on water, everything is closer.
992
00:43:44,750 --> 00:43:47,350
Furthermore, it's really a pleasant way to travel.
993
00:43:47,350 --> 00:43:49,909
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
994
00:43:49,909 --> 00:43:53,076
(boat engine revving)
995
00:43:54,066 --> 00:43:55,020
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
996
00:43:55,020 --> 00:43:56,397
Throughout the world,
997
00:43:56,397 --> 00:43:59,580
all the big cities are situated on the water,
998
00:43:59,580 --> 00:44:00,883
sea or rivers.
999
00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:04,756
Water has always been the life blood of a city,
1000
00:44:04,756 --> 00:44:06,747
giving it its reason for being.
1001
00:44:06,747 --> 00:44:09,610
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1002
00:44:09,610 --> 00:44:11,520
Along wit his agency,
1003
00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:14,510
Vert Hoeffen has devised a floating pavilion,
1004
00:44:14,510 --> 00:44:17,170
built originally for the universal exhibition
1005
00:44:17,170 --> 00:44:19,520
of Shanghai in 2010,
1006
00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:22,707
to be relocated to Rotterdam in 2015.
1007
00:44:22,707 --> 00:44:23,540
(upbeat music)
1008
00:44:23,540 --> 00:44:27,120
A pilot project to determine if it's possible to build
1009
00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:28,780
and live on water,
1010
00:44:28,780 --> 00:44:30,660
at a time of climate change.
1011
00:44:30,660 --> 00:44:31,584
(upbeat music)
1012
00:44:31,584 --> 00:44:32,417
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1013
00:44:32,417 --> 00:44:34,760
This pavilion was developed in cooperation
1014
00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:36,184
with the City of Rotterdam.
1015
00:44:36,184 --> 00:44:38,130
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1016
00:44:38,130 --> 00:44:39,460
In fact, the pavilion
1017
00:44:39,460 --> 00:44:41,650
was built of expanded polystyrene.
1018
00:44:41,650 --> 00:44:43,660
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1019
00:44:43,660 --> 00:44:44,720
These small cells
1020
00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,260
of polystyrene are waterproof.
1021
00:44:47,260 --> 00:44:49,150
It's a very useful material.
1022
00:44:49,150 --> 00:44:50,280
To ensure that it floats,
1023
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,905
it's what makes up the base of the pavilion.
1024
00:44:52,905 --> 00:44:57,590
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1025
00:44:57,590 --> 00:44:58,500
The building moves
1026
00:44:58,500 --> 00:45:00,650
approximately two meters a day,
1027
00:45:00,650 --> 00:45:02,524
depending on tidal fluctuation.
1028
00:45:02,524 --> 00:45:04,230
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1029
00:45:04,230 --> 00:45:06,450
It's construction means that it can absorb
1030
00:45:06,450 --> 00:45:07,853
different movements.
1031
00:45:07,853 --> 00:45:10,180
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1032
00:45:10,180 --> 00:45:11,260
At the same time,
1033
00:45:11,260 --> 00:45:14,120
we can see that the building is very stable.
1034
00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:15,940
That given its proportions,
1035
00:45:15,940 --> 00:45:18,670
it has greater stability than a barge.
1036
00:45:18,670 --> 00:45:21,333
Something really unique for this structure.
1037
00:45:21,333 --> 00:45:24,160
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1038
00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:25,350
It's a step forward
1039
00:45:25,350 --> 00:45:28,599
towards an evolution in floating technologies.
1040
00:45:28,599 --> 00:45:32,830
(Vert speaking in foreign language)
1041
00:45:32,830 --> 00:45:34,090
How's it going?
1042
00:45:34,090 --> 00:45:36,970
Good, there's been a couple of changes.
1043
00:45:36,970 --> 00:45:38,710
Yes, that's evident.
1044
00:45:38,710 --> 00:45:41,980
There's new furniture, new activities on the water
1045
00:45:41,980 --> 00:45:44,160
and we have a new mass roof.
1046
00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:44,993
It's great.
1047
00:45:44,993 --> 00:45:45,826
Very pleasant.
1048
00:45:45,826 --> 00:45:47,140
A nice temperature here.
1049
00:45:47,140 --> 00:45:49,420
Yes, the temperature comes..
1050
00:45:49,420 --> 00:45:52,130
It comes from the fact that you can open the windows.
1051
00:45:52,130 --> 00:45:54,420
You can open the roof shutters,
1052
00:45:54,420 --> 00:45:57,150
and this provides natural air circulation
1053
00:45:57,150 --> 00:46:01,080
which creates a pleasant temperature inside the pavilion.
1054
00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:01,913
There was talk
1055
00:46:01,913 --> 00:46:04,723
of relocating the building after five years.
1056
00:46:06,114 --> 00:46:06,947
Yeah.
1057
00:46:06,947 --> 00:46:09,121
But it's still here.
1058
00:46:09,121 --> 00:46:12,270
I don't think it's necessary to move it in the short term.
1059
00:46:12,270 --> 00:46:14,080
And if we have to,
1060
00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:15,330
it must stay in the port.
1061
00:46:16,340 --> 00:46:17,703
That might be an option.
1062
00:46:19,110 --> 00:46:21,330
You're very attached to the place.
1063
00:46:21,330 --> 00:46:23,113
Yes, to the building as well.
1064
00:46:23,113 --> 00:46:23,970
(laughs)
1065
00:46:23,970 --> 00:46:24,909
Great.
1066
00:46:24,909 --> 00:46:25,960
(serene gentle music)
1067
00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:28,910
Increasingly overcrowded towns and cities
1068
00:46:28,910 --> 00:46:31,510
and decreasing availability of space,
1069
00:46:31,510 --> 00:46:33,420
Vert Hoeffen and this team
1070
00:46:33,420 --> 00:46:35,716
have supported a project in that direction.
1071
00:46:35,716 --> 00:46:38,150
(gentle music)
1072
00:46:38,150 --> 00:46:39,320
Eight years ago,
1073
00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:42,470
this City of Delft offered water plots for sale
1074
00:46:42,470 --> 00:46:44,260
and a brand new district.
1075
00:46:44,260 --> 00:46:47,120
The aim, to encourage potential buyers,
1076
00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:48,595
to create floating homes.
1077
00:46:48,595 --> 00:46:51,762
(serene gentle music)
1078
00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:56,170
Olaf Jansen is one of the inhabitants,
1079
00:46:56,170 --> 00:46:57,662
to have taken up the challenge.
1080
00:46:57,662 --> 00:46:58,731
(serene gentle music)
1081
00:46:58,731 --> 00:47:03,731
(ducks chittering)
(serene gentle music)
1082
00:47:03,960 --> 00:47:04,793
It all began
1083
00:47:04,793 --> 00:47:07,450
by building a home for myself.
1084
00:47:07,450 --> 00:47:10,720
It was necessary to come up with so many techniques,
1085
00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:12,620
and we thought, if we've developed
1086
00:47:12,620 --> 00:47:14,500
these intelligent technologies,
1087
00:47:14,500 --> 00:47:16,303
why not use them for other homes?
1088
00:47:17,361 --> 00:47:19,332
(birds chirping)
1089
00:47:19,332 --> 00:47:20,165
(ducks chattering)
1090
00:47:20,165 --> 00:47:22,630
This is how Olaf became the designer
1091
00:47:22,630 --> 00:47:25,900
of his own home, for which he filed a patent.
1092
00:47:25,900 --> 00:47:28,500
It features composite insulating material,
1093
00:47:28,500 --> 00:47:30,590
thanks to fiberglass.
1094
00:47:30,590 --> 00:47:32,300
Each house is unique,
1095
00:47:32,300 --> 00:47:35,813
and prefabricated before being installed on water.
1096
00:47:37,032 --> 00:47:38,540
(Olaf speaking in foreign language)
1097
00:47:38,540 --> 00:47:40,205
In the event of heavy rain,
1098
00:47:40,205 --> 00:47:42,560
the water level rises.
1099
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,720
But what happens is that the houses
1100
00:47:44,720 --> 00:47:48,274
which are attached to these pylons, can move vertically.
1101
00:47:48,274 --> 00:47:49,560
(Olaf speaking in foreign language)
1102
00:47:49,560 --> 00:47:51,430
So in periods of heavy rain,
1103
00:47:51,430 --> 00:47:52,860
the house rises too.
1104
00:47:52,860 --> 00:47:54,790
(Olaf speaking in foreign language)
1105
00:47:54,790 --> 00:47:56,310
When the water recedes,
1106
00:47:56,310 --> 00:47:58,020
the house descends.
1107
00:47:58,020 --> 00:48:01,460
This is the reason why we can build floating homes,
1108
00:48:01,460 --> 00:48:03,610
without interfering with the water level
1109
00:48:03,610 --> 00:48:05,145
in the plot as a whole.
1110
00:48:05,145 --> 00:48:07,130
(Olaf speaking in foreign language)
1111
00:48:07,130 --> 00:48:08,510
This is the most positive aspect
1112
00:48:08,510 --> 00:48:09,527
of the floating home.
1113
00:48:09,527 --> 00:48:12,420
(Olaf speaking in foreign language)
1114
00:48:12,420 --> 00:48:14,090
In the event of a storm,
1115
00:48:14,090 --> 00:48:16,320
the home must be stable, of course.
1116
00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:19,063
It can sink 40 centimeters into the water.
1117
00:48:19,990 --> 00:48:21,820
It's permanent balancing system
1118
00:48:21,820 --> 00:48:25,236
relies on a base of compressed air and counterweights.
1119
00:48:25,236 --> 00:48:28,069
(gentle music)
1120
00:48:28,069 --> 00:48:29,850
(speaking in foreign language)
1121
00:48:29,850 --> 00:48:30,750
Beneath the house,
1122
00:48:30,750 --> 00:48:34,610
there's a kind of balance, amounting to 350 liters
1123
00:48:34,610 --> 00:48:38,433
in which air is pressurized to stabilize the house.
1124
00:48:38,433 --> 00:48:42,460
Not long ago they installed a jacuzzi on the roof,
1125
00:48:42,460 --> 00:48:44,360
which is very heavy.
1126
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:46,830
We wanted to check whether we can balance the house
1127
00:48:46,830 --> 00:48:48,763
via this air pump system.
1128
00:48:50,060 --> 00:48:51,950
And on the roof of his house,
1129
00:48:51,950 --> 00:48:54,710
Olaf has installed an original counterweight
1130
00:48:54,710 --> 00:48:57,430
to maintain the structure's equilibrium.
1131
00:48:57,430 --> 00:48:59,680
A small pond filled with fish.
1132
00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:01,050
(birds chirping)
1133
00:49:01,050 --> 00:49:03,220
Having determined that once in place
1134
00:49:03,220 --> 00:49:05,390
his floating home was operational,
1135
00:49:05,390 --> 00:49:07,160
Olaf set up his own company
1136
00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:08,960
to distribute this model.
1137
00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:10,560
In the first instance,
1138
00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:11,950
in surrounding plots
1139
00:49:11,950 --> 00:49:15,340
and subsequently in other regions of the Netherlands,
1140
00:49:15,340 --> 00:49:17,053
the idea is catching on.
1141
00:49:18,238 --> 00:49:19,550
Since childhood
1142
00:49:19,550 --> 00:49:22,030
I've always been interested in the water.
1143
00:49:22,030 --> 00:49:23,397
Yes, we live on the water
1144
00:49:23,397 --> 00:49:27,040
and we see the birds, the greenery around us.
1145
00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:28,700
It is very tranquil.
1146
00:49:28,700 --> 00:49:31,473
We are more aware of the nature around us.
1147
00:49:32,926 --> 00:49:34,198
(gentle music)
1148
00:49:34,198 --> 00:49:35,840
(duck quacking)
(gentle music)
1149
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:38,480
Develop floating homes indeed,
1150
00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:41,270
but why not go as far as floating towns
1151
00:49:41,270 --> 00:49:43,150
which would recycle waste and CO2.
1152
00:49:43,150 --> 00:49:43,983
(upbeat music)
1153
00:49:43,983 --> 00:49:45,620
This is one of the projects,
1154
00:49:45,620 --> 00:49:47,974
Vert Hoeffen is working on right now.
1155
00:49:47,974 --> 00:49:50,557
(upbeat music)
1156
00:49:51,980 --> 00:49:53,560
What we tested in Rotterdam,
1157
00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:55,850
is merely a first step.
1158
00:49:55,850 --> 00:49:59,410
We're in the process of developing new technologies,
1159
00:49:59,410 --> 00:50:01,583
allowing constructions on the coast.
1160
00:50:02,740 --> 00:50:05,270
We're also in the process of conducting trials
1161
00:50:05,270 --> 00:50:09,161
with Marine, to test floating constructions in a wave pool.
1162
00:50:09,161 --> 00:50:11,788
(Bart speaking in foreign language)
1163
00:50:11,788 --> 00:50:15,560
(waves crashing)
(boat engine revving)
1164
00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:17,010
What we're trying to do,
1165
00:50:17,010 --> 00:50:19,200
is to find a new way of living
1166
00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:21,982
which moves along with the elements, like water.
1167
00:50:21,982 --> 00:50:25,239
(Bart speaking in foreign language)
1168
00:50:25,239 --> 00:50:26,072
(upbeat music)
1169
00:50:26,072 --> 00:50:26,970
For centuries,
1170
00:50:26,970 --> 00:50:28,850
The Delta in the Netherlands
1171
00:50:28,850 --> 00:50:31,141
has constantly been shaped by man.
1172
00:50:31,141 --> 00:50:33,724
(gentle music)
1173
00:50:38,833 --> 00:50:43,833
(water burbling)
(gentle music)
1174
00:50:44,670 --> 00:50:46,270
With climate change,
1175
00:50:46,270 --> 00:50:49,350
nature is once again becoming the big winner
1176
00:50:49,350 --> 00:50:50,356
in the Delta region.
1177
00:50:50,356 --> 00:50:52,360
(gentle music)
1178
00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:57,360
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
1179
00:50:59,962 --> 00:51:04,962
(windmill whooshing)
(gentle music)
1180
00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:09,954
The Dutch have definitely not finished playing with water.
1181
00:51:09,954 --> 00:51:12,537
(gentle music)
1182
00:51:16,903 --> 00:51:19,486
(upbeat music)
84487
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