Name: Amanda Krijgsman
Age: 26
Country: Netherlands
Life below sea level and the explorations that Nature-Based Solutions invite us to
Hi, my name is Amanda. I grew up in a place which lies 5 meters below sea level, just on the outskirts of the port city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. As a kid, the garden of my parents was my wonder world. In spring, an elegant blanket of dew covers my parents garden in the morning and in the evening. The moist peat soil feeds the garden with a broad diversity of flora and fauna. I discovered beetles, ants, worms, birds, ducks, water snails, leeches, plants, strange sticky plants, plants with explosion mechanisms, stinging plants, grasses and trees. Tremendously excited I got from catching frogs and salamanders, were after I fascinated studied them. To then release them back into the pond or I imprisoned them in an empty candy box.
I remember the moment very clearly that I told my dad to turn off the car engine because it will harm the seals on the North Pole. This must have been 18 years ago. Meanwhile, the Arctic ice coverage has (roughly) shrunk a million square meters. The sea level is rising faster and higher than expected, putting my hometown in a vulnerable position. New calculations show that this means a sea level rise of up to 2-3 meters for the Netherlands (Deltares, 2018). As long as my parents know, water management has been solved by civil engineering solutions, executed by a special government agency. They have never been involved in the country’s water challenges, they had no reason to think it over. My dad still drives his diesel car. Water is pumped out and we have dry feet.
But the implications are profound. As a result of the pumping, the peat soil in the garden and under my parents’ house subsidises with 6mm/year (Dutch Center for Geodesy and Geo-informatics, n.d.). Civil engineering solutions thus do not only make ecosystems more vulnerable (because of e.g. loss of habitat, loss of biodiversity), they also make us more vulnerable (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Relative sea level rise is the sum of soil subsidence and absolute sea level rise. Source: based on Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (n.d.)
In addition, the adverse effects of climate change, such as prolonged droughts and intensive rainfall that The Netherlands experiences, radically forced departure from the mainstream perspective on our water management. A paradigm shift gained motion. Our government, knowledge institutes and businesses now join forces to works with nature in programmes like “Room for the river” (see https://www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/english/) and Building with Nature (see https://www.ecoshape.org/en/).
On walking distance to my parents’ home, a similar Nature-Based Solution (NBS) has been realised. To cope with peak showers and to prevent too much water from flowing through the river De Rotte to the city of Rotterdam, a water retention basin has been created. Arable land next to the river was purchased, a layer of topsoil is removed and consequently outfitted as swamp. Excessive water from the river is let in during heavy rainfall.
Birds, plants and water organisms came and enjoy the water level fluctuation for their nursery and foraging grounds. Birdwatchers, cyclists, runners, walkers, rowers and peace seekers came too. Furthermore, a rowing track was created within this area, which is used for national and international competitions. The swamp reveals an astonishing biotope that invites children and adults to explore water as something richer and more remarkable than they thought.
NBS involve people in climate change adaptation in a beautiful way. The point I want to make, is that I believe that NBS elegantly encourages people to think about their environment and climate change. Growing awareness may develop and flourish in pro-environmental and climate responsibly behaviour. I am convinced that the curiosity, love and passion for nature that I developed exploring my parents' garden, is the foundation of my efforts to act climate- and environmental responsibly. My parents may not like to think about their vulnerable position, but now they can see that with NBS, climate change brings opportunities too.
I just started my career as researcher on nature based climate solutions at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). We co-create evidence-based nature based solutions in living labs around the world such as river restoration, wetland restoration and green infrastructure for cities. WUR’s mission is to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. I am happy that I have the opportunity to work on NBS and that, in that way, I can contribute to a better future for people and the environment.
References
Deltares. (2018, September 18). Deltares maps out the possible consequences of accelerated sea level rise for the Netherlands. Retrieved July 20, 2019, from https://www.deltares.nl/nl/nieuws/deltares-brengt-mogelijke-gevolgen-van-versnelde-zeespiegelstijging-voor-nederland-kaart/
Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute. (n.d.). Sea level rise. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from https://www.knmi.nl/kennis-en-datacentrum/achtergrond/zeespiegelstijging
Dutch Center for Geodesy and Geo-informatics. (n.d.). Soil subsidence map. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from https://bodemdalingskaart.nl/portal/index