A New Year's greeting: a people living...

Halfway up the Afsluitdijk, it is inscribed in the Lely monument: "A people that lives, builds its future. A simple truth that no one will dare to deny. What should we do in 2022 to realize this beautiful maxim for future generations in a climate- and nature-conscious way? 

With this outlook, let's look at today's Randstad. What immediately stands out terribly on the way to a climate- and nature-conscious future is the clash between Schiphol and living + nature. The Bosatlas shows that in the ellipse, moving clockwise, between Beverwijk, Zaandam, Amsterdam, Hilversum, Mijdrecht, Alphen a/d Rijn, Leiden and Haarlem there is serious noise pollution. Add to that the kerosene fumes from the planes and the gigantic land take in the Green Heart of the Netherlands, and Schiphol will have to go. To the sea. On an island surrounded by a man-made tidal island construction, which also regulates the transport of sand along the coast and dampens the excessively high waves. We have experience with that, with the experimental Sand Motor near The Hague. The flying birds? Well, we'll have to find a solution to that, just as we have with Schiphol Airport today. No fixed runways but floating runway pontoons of high quality concrete, optimally aligned to the prevailing wind direction. The existing terminals can remain in use, connected by an underground high-speed connection to the island. We immediately run this high-quality public transport variant in a large underground circle, again moving clockwise, between Haarlem, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Gouda, Rotterdam and The Hague. The Green Heart of the Netherlands can again be used for just living and nature.

Perhaps we could fill some polders again into natural swamps? That way we regulate water management better instead of pumping out stupidly. And, oh yes, the farmers should all let the cows out in the summer again and start using smaller light tractors so they don't get stuck in the swampy land. With, of course, adequate compensation per gallon of milk for the extra work. On the marshy land, Black-tailed Godwit, Cockatiel and Lapwing will "suddenly" do much better.

During the lockdown period, I was fascinated to read Cees Banning's biography of Cornelis Lely. What a story of clashing financial and idealistic interests in the early 20th century! Forgotten at the time: the environment, which created a cowardly pool of fresh water: the IJsselmeer. We are going to change that in the plan Lely 2.0. How are we going to do this? (1) With the breached Afsluitdijk (with bridges) through which the tide regains control of the IJsselmeer, pardon the pun, the Zuiderzee. A challenge for the TU Delft to make this happen safely, but therefore also (2) the dikes around it will be reinforced and (3) a series of new residential or nature islands connected by beautiful bridges from Enkhuizen to Stavoren (and vice versa of course!) with train, car, bicycle and foot connections. Who will carry this out? European industry under the direction of Rijkswaterstaat 2.0 with theoretical support from the Technical Universities. Rijkswaterstaat must be reinforced with sufficient qualitative technical people to manage this. Hydraulic engineering research at the Universities will have to be greatly expanded. A waste of money when the job is done? Certainly not, there are plenty of deltas in the world with the same nature and housing problems. 

Let's make the Netherlands the world's first hydraulic engineering country again!
I wish you all a prosperous 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 etc.