The Netherlands, where more than one-quarter of the country lies below sea level and over 60% is flood-prone, once faced a devastating disaster in 1953 when storm surges breached the dikes, killing more than 1,800 people. That tragedy became a turning point, leading to the creation of Delta Works — a vast system of dikes, storm-surge barriers, and water-control structures widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated engineering systems in the world, built to the highest safety standards.
But as climate risks intensified, the Netherlands shifted from the old strategy of “fighting against water” toward a new philosophy of “living with water.” This was achieved through the Room for the River program, which restores floodplains, widens riverbanks, relocates residents from high-risk zones, and designs floodable parks that serve as public green spaces during normal seasons. These efforts are reinforced by a three-layer safety strategy that integrates engineered defenses, strict spatial planning, and advanced disaster preparedness.
The key lessons for Thailand include adopting integrated watershed management, halting land reclamation that blocks natural water pathways, enforcing urban planning regulations effectively, and investing in long-term water infrastructure that remains consistent across political cycles. These actions are essential for building sustainable resilience against future flooding risks.
CR: https://www.government.nl/topics/delta-programme
