🌏 earthrise - Dutch Aquatecture: Engineering a Future on the Water

The Netherlands is one of the lowest lying countries in the world. Over one-quarter of the nation lives below sea level.
As sea levels rise, the Dutch are preparing for the worst. Engineer David van Raalten is constructing new sea walls as part of a huge programme to eradicate weak links in the country's coastal protection.
But a growing number of urban planners and architects believe that as well as fighting rising sea levels it's time to find ways to live with the water.
Koen Olthuis calls himself an 'aquatect', an architect who uses water to help improve the design of a city and work with rising sea levels.
He has created over 100 floating houses in the Netherlands in the past 12 years, ranging from apartments to luxury villas but believes his technology can also make a big difference to people in poorer countries who are most vulnerable to rising seas.
Russell Beard travels to the Dutch coast to see how the Netherlands is engineering a future on the water.

[@robertcraane7910]

I start to become a fan of Al Jazeera.. always so truthful and honest! Really a highlight in journalism!

[@ahmirsamson3913]

Dunno if anyone cares but in less than 15 minutes I hacked my girl friends Instagram password using InstaPlekt. You can find it by Googling if you wanna try it yourself

[@TheNaijaboy007]

😆😆😆 it is still a state own tv

[@LJY08]

The future of engineering is finding ways to make existing houses 'aqua houses'. Just amazing and oh, so inspiring :-)

[@danny9905]

We do it for centuries here in NL, it’s called a woonboot. Translated it means living boat.

[@barrytipton1179]

The east coast of England is washing into the sea and the Netherlands are building up their land with it I’m sure they sail over at night to pinch it lol

[@Jaydon05]

Good luck! English friends! 😄

[@barrytipton1179]

When I feel safe to travel again I would like to see Netherlands defences in person

[@amsterdam]

Amazing

[@halcyonfaysal2801]

Wow....

[@almojabanas9296]

wacht even hoor, hoe krijgt het huis water en elektriciteit? En het riool?

[@MarinelliBrosPodcast]

You know, you could always build a floating tiny shipping container home.

[@joeyhandles]

dope

[@ChangeArt99]

amazing :D

[@peacefulrelaxation7885]

How much

[@hermitcrabinavan7244]

Time to try out this idea in Jakarta? I heard that the city is sinking.

[@Snaakie83]

And that's ironically the fault of my (Dutch) ancestors. After the Dutch bought their way into Jacatra, they soon decided to build a fort to pro protect them against the English. When protests arrose against this, the Governor burned down the place and decided to rebuild. But he rebuilt the place with European style buildings that sunk in the swampy ground. They started using the same technique as in Amsterdam by having a foundation built of poles and made Jacatra -> Batavia the capital city of the Dutch Indies. From 1619 till 1942 the city grew from 50.000 to 1 million and even then it was sinking. To bad there wasn't that much city planning around at the time that planned the sinking of the town.

[@jgowner6076]

Northsea in 2100: 3 million Dutchies live in a city floating on it

[@Jaydon05]

Wha ha! We will! 😄

[@Academicidiot]

Will these houses stand a hurricane though? The future will send both a storm surge and high winds at the same time.

[@ralphrepo]

Floating houses? Why not floating islands?

[@dreamweaver8331]

Tsunami, Tsunami came washing over me!

[@2009heyhow]

The Netherlands is luckily not on a tectonic plate that causes earthquakes to happen that forms into tsunami's . Yet, big storms can still cause quite some damage.

[@joeleannaluceno2783]

what materials do they use?

[@djago3580]

Frysanium

[@Celis.C]

^ For those scratching their heads: Friesland is a region in the Netherlands, with its own official language. That's where the 'Frys' comes from. Folks from Friesland have also adapted to centuries of dealing with water management, hence the pun on using the region's name and 'turning it into a material'.

[@barrytipton1179]

The east coast of England

[@MoReal2]

One thing for sure if your problems involves water, go Dutch.

[@antoniescargo2954]

De bodem daalt in bepaalde delen van Nederland omdat het water wordt weggepompt.

[@christophsteck531]

pff worst scenario 2 meters of sea level rising

[@longfordboy2538]

Dont they have many bugs ??

[@robvoncken2565]

bugs?

[@attaje]

Think think....

[@henkoosterink8744]

Haha, those floating houses are just a gimmick.

[@pauldevette]

Woonboten zijn niks nieuws.

[@Celis.C]

Would you say that earthquake-proof housing/buildings are also 'just a gimmick'?

[@Jaydon05]

Wha ha! Your dreaming! We follow the future of oceans! Should be a tip for your country too! Or... Learn to swim! :)

[@henkoosterink8744]

@@Celis.C Something different.