Turning The Tide

Samenvatting

Turning The TideEssays on Dutch ways with water Dr Henk Saeijs is the spiritual father and driving force behind themodernization and "ecologization" of watermanagement in the Netherlandsthat took place in the last decades of the 20th century until now. Inthese essays he presents his experiences  and views. Many themes are beingdealt with in a challenging way. Myths and beliefs that politicians andthe general public have on for example salt water as undesirable,reclaiming land, safety and sea defenses, fresh water and others, arethoroughly being debunked. In stead of technology-driven solutions Saeijsadvocates the power and flexibility of Mother Nature, because after all"she has over 3 billion years of experience". ... All too often the downsideof technical solutions are neglected or underestimated; only much laterthe (unpaid) bill comes along for untold quantities of polluted mud, thediminished biological production of estuaries and so on. Fortunately,there are positive trends emerging, especially where scientists andengineers try to use and respect the resilience of ecosystems.Turning the Tide is a stimulating collection of essays for anyone who isinterested in water and water management, certainly not only in TheNetherlands with its interesting coastal structure and its polders op to 7meters below sea level, but even more so in a global context. Contents1 Water, blessed and cursed2 From "ego-pragmatism" to "eco-pragmatism"3 The Rijn: there\'s more to it than meets the boats4 Polders, keep them or kill them?5 Problems with a rain river6 Is the sea worth its salt?7 The delta: from excavation to well of knowledge8 Being creative in a changing delta9 Hidden assets10 Back to mother nature11 A water crisis casts its shadow 12 Change of course13 Living with dams14 Eco-man15 Imaginable risks16 Innovating safety17 Is our delta an alma mater?Literature Index http://www.vssd.nl/hlf/f037.htm