By the seventeenth century, the Netherlands was playing a major role in the world's economy. The creation of the Dutch East India Company established the country as one of the major seafaring and trading powers. The mercantile class became extremely influential in all aspects of the country's life. The Netherlands' major trade rival was England and the competition between the countries led to the Dutch Wars, which were resolved in 1667 by the Treaty of Breda. England recognized the Netherlands' right to the Dutch East Indies. During this period, the Netherlands' capital city of Amsterdam became the site of the first stock exchange and was recognized as the wealthiest trading city at the time. In 1652, the Netherlands had become a republic under Jan de Witt. In 1672, the French invaded the country and killed de Witt. This marked the beginning of a decline in the economic prosperity of the country, which lasted throughout the eighteenth century. From 1795 to 1815, the Netherlands was under French control as part of Napoleon's Empire.

The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century did not bring about rapid changes in the Netherlands, because the country relied heavily on waterways for transportation and on wind power for energy. Up to the time of World War II, the Netherlands maintained a neutrality and independence from its neighboring countries that adversely affected its economic prosperity. After the war, the country made a dramatic change in policy and began interacting with its neighbors; this new policy brought about renewed economic prosperity. The Netherlands became an important founding member of major international organizations including the Benelux, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Coal and Steel Community. As one of the fifteen founding members of the European Union, the Netherlands plays an important role in Europe's economy and welfare. Sea level, rising tides, and the potential of flooding have always been of major concern to the Netherlands since approximately 27 percent of its land lies below sea level. Throughout its history, the country has intervened to protect its land and inhabitants from encroachment by the sea and from flooding caused by overflowing rivers and rising sea levels.

The industrialization of the Netherlands has adversely affected the country's situation. With the exception of the natural gas fields near Sloctern, the country has few natural resources and the economy depends on manufacturing and processing for a considerable amount of its wealth. Petroleum refining, food processing, and chemical processing, along with the manufacture of electrical machinery, all increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This adds to global warming, which may raise sea levels and increase erratic weather patterns that may contribute to the overflow of rivers and flooding. This situation is worsened by the Netherlands' use of intensive agriculture and horticulture, which produce more GHGs.

The coastline of the Netherlands has undergone considerable changes over the centuries. In 1134, a severe storm created the archipelago of Zeeland. In 1421, the Saint Elizabeth flood caused serious damage to the Netherlands. To combat these problems, the Dutch built polders and dikes to control the water levels and prevent disasters. There are three different kinds of polders, which are tracts of lowlands enclosed by dikes. The first is land reclaimed from a lake or the sea, the second is an area prone to flooding that is protected from the sea by dikes, and the third is a drained marsh separated from the surrounding water by dikes. Windmills are used to pump the excess water. Water bodies or home councils, which are groups independent of any government control, supervise the maintenance of the flood prevention systems.

In 1953, the Netherlands experienced one of its worst floods. The country put into effect the Delta Works, which raised 3,000 kilometers of outer sea dikes and 10,000 kilometers of canal and river dikes to a flood-prevention level and closed off the Zeeland sea estuaries.

As a member of the European Union, the Netherlands ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. According to the data gathered by the European Environment Agency, the Netherlands emitted 213 million metric tons of GHGs in the base year of 1990. In 2006, the Netherlands had reduced its emissions to 207.5 million metric tons, ranking seventh among the EU27 and sixth among the EU15 as an emitter of GHGs (Abboud, 2009). The burden-sharing target of the Netherlands under the Kyoto Protocol is 6 percent, to an annual average of 200.3 million metric tons of emissions between 2008 and 2012. From 2002 to 2006, the Netherlands produced an average of 213.6 million metric tons of GHG emissions, representing an increase of 0.3 percent. The country's 2006 emissions, at 207.5 million metric tons, were 3 percent below its base year emissions but were still above its treaty target. The Netherlands has projected an increase in its emissions to a level just 2 percent below the 1990 levels, as present policies continue in energy supply and use, as well as in transport and agriculture.

The Netherlands believes that it will exceed its target of 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. By implementing carbon sink activities and using Kyoto mechanisms, specifically that of providing funds for projects reducing GHG emissions in other countries under the clean development mechanism, the Netherlands projects a level of GHG emissions 8 percent below those of 1990.

In view of the prospects of continued global warming, the Netherlands is embarking upon a major flood-control project. Projected to continue to the year 2100, the project is estimated to cost about one billion Euros per year. At the core of the project is the planned raising of dikes and reinforcing of storm barriers. Many different approaches are being considered, from amelioration of the protection from the sea at major ports, especially Rotterdam, to extending the coastline of the North Sea as much as 1 kilometer by dumping millions of metric tons of sand into the ocean. The Netherlands is also working to use technology to protect the country from floods. A system of sensors to determine the stability of the dikes is being developed to replace the human volunteers who carry out the inspection. The Netherlands is also working with International Business Machines (IBM) to create software that can analyze weather, provide early warning of flood threats, and help coordinate plans for evacuation. The law approving funding for the massive and costly project and maintaining its funding over the century-long period has yet to be passed, but the Netherlands is convinced that the sea level will rise and significant preventive measures must be in place before 2100.

Reference

Abboud, Leila. "Before the Deluge." The Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2009, p. R10.

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