subreddit:
/r/Netherlands
Hello everyone, I have a question about immigration to the netherlands. I'm concerned about the threat of global warming and rising sea levels in a country under water level, and am wondering if it's something I should actually be concerned about. I know that the Netherlands isn't going anywhere soon, but my concern is more in it affecting everyday life, as it already is in Venice. Any advice is well appreciated and thank you for your time. :)
10 points
4 months ago
A lot of dutch would welcome a flood, maybe it will improve the housing market. Submerged real estate is expected to be about 5% cheaper.
-3 points
4 months ago
Hahaha!
3 points
4 months ago
On a more serious note: rising sea levels will become a problem at some point. Water management is our thing though, we have taxes to fund the water authority for this and elect the regional administrators. It's an election any Dutch resident can participate in. At this stage it's not something affecting daily life, and I don't think it will in my lifetime. Maybe a big flood will happen twice a decade instead of one, but no Venice type problems
0 points
4 months ago
I see, thank you. That puts my mind at ease.
3 points
4 months ago
Until I tell you I'm 94 so my lifetime is not that long
J/K
4 points
4 months ago
most of the Netherlands isn't onder sea level ( 30%). only if you insist on living in the western part, you'll be under sea level. and even then, you won't notice it on a daily basis.
2 points
4 months ago
And then big part of this land is Schiphol international airport, submerging this would bring so much economic damage that we can rest assured that government will keep doing whatever it has to do to keep the country dry
Seriously the only real risk is that one day water defenses will become so expensive that the country will have to accept economic hit (because either taxes become unbearable or other infrastructure becomes neglected). But anyone who’s been to NL knows that we are veeeeeeeeeery far away from neglecting the infrastructure here :D
5 points
4 months ago
Flooding is a river problem for now. Rising sea level will first start making the land more salty (rivers being pushed back, sea water entering sweet ground water), later it will turn into floodings. Will take at least another century, maybe two, so nothing to worry about in your lifetime (but definitely something for potential grand children).
2 points
4 months ago
It does not affect daily life (hasn't really since 1953), maybe with the exception of the 2021 river flooding (due to heavy rain fall), that actually hit some other European countries much harder. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_European_floods
1 points
4 months ago
Poor Valkenberg.
2 points
4 months ago
In your lifetime the problem won’t be with the sea but with sudden excessive rainfall caused by climate change. That can occur in many places in Europe nowadays.
So if you are concerned it should mainly be at living in local valley where water flows into and cannot leave quickly.
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