Netherlands - Netherlands - Cultural life: The cultural life of the Netherlands is varied and lively. Dutch painting and crafts are world renowned, and Dutch painters are among the greatest the world has ever known. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. We had a strong belief that we could predict and control nature, and we're moving now into a period where we acknowledge that we cannot control nature,” says Chris Zevenbergen, a professor of flood resilience of urban systems at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands. The second level is, for instance, spatial planning,” he explains. His seminal work is Rule and Order, Dutch Planning Doctrine in the 20th Century (1994), published by Kluwer Academic Publishers and co-authored by Andreas Faludi. In petroleum processing too, Rotterdam is one of the world’s leading centres, with facilities to receive the largest supertankers. The head of state then formally appoints the ministers. In those areas to which the councils’ own ordinances are applicable, the municipalities are autonomous. In many instances, national legislation or provincial ordinances provide for the cooperation of municipal authorities. Multiple land use is an eye-opener for Dutch planners at the start of the new era. First, how to protect existing highly-populated cities. This article reveals driving forces and new trends in planning. Trade flows through Dutch harbours, continuing its passage by riverboat, train, truck, and pipeline. Each municipality is run by a directly elected council that is presided over by a burgemeester (mayor), who is appointed by the national government and serves as chairman of the executive, the members of which are elected by and from the council; in the early 21st century, there was active discussion of directly electing mayors. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Introduction. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors. Decision making by consensus is the dominant planning style in The Netherlands. Appeals against decisions from the district courts are heard by one of five courts of appeal (gerechtshoven). The Netherlands have built their flood protection systems to the point that the chance of failure in any given year is one in 10,000, which Zevenbergen says is the most stringent system on the planet. “We have to deal with uncertainties in terms of climate change and socioeconomic development.”, Ten years ago, the Netherlands developed the concept of “room for the rivers,” which Zevenbergen calls a “paradigm shift.” “The room for the rivers concept is a turning point in our approach,” he explains. The Dutch physical planning system is at a turning point. Maritime traffic accounts for more than half the total amount of goods loaded and unloaded in the Netherlands, and, indeed, the whole southern part of the North Sea may be likened to an immense traffic square, fed by the Thames, Rhine, Maas, and Schelde rivers, with links into the hinterland of the continent that make it one of the greatest commercial arteries of the world. Smaller airports of international importance are Rotterdam (Zestienhoven), Eindhoven, and Maastricht. Water supply and sanitation in the Netherlands is provided in good quality and at a reasonable price to the entire population. The history of the Netherlands, every year - Duration: 8:27. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. It is also becoming a greater necessity due to climate change. How one Danish energy company went from black to green in 10 years, Explainer: Both candidates' platforms underline US struggle to confront China, One French politician fights to expose China’s Uighur concentration camps. As the country adapts to the reality of a warming planet, they are passing on their knowledge and expertise to other vulnerable nations. In addition, a water manager must ensure a sufficient volume of groundwater and surface water, and keep the water quality up to par. Recently the government proposed a new institutional framework for spatial planning. There are cantonal courts (kantongerechten), which exercise jurisdiction in a whole range of minor civil and criminal cases. Recently, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held a conference which directly addressed how to engage the finance sector and the water sector. Overview of the port at Rotterdam, Netherlands. Netherlands - Netherlands - Transportation and telecommunications: In the Netherlands transportation is of special importance because the country functions as a gateway for the traffic of goods between western Europe and the rest of the world. The Hague is the seat of the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and Europol. A water manager is responsible for the prevention of flooding. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. The main functions of the provinces include oversight of the municipalities within their borders and of district water-control boards (waterschappen). However, most children begin their education at age four. “That means we have time to see what is the best strategy for our country. The telecommunications system in the Netherlands is highly advanced, with extensive fibre-optic and mobile networks. The Dutch pension system combines a pay-as-you-go system, in which workers pay for retirees' benefits, and an individual investment system. Sign up for our daily newsletter TOP OF THE WORLD and get the big stories we’re tracking delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. To learn more, review our Cookie Policy. Large parts of the Netherlands consist of what are called polders — low-lying areas of land that have been reclaimed from the sea and are protected by dikes. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and Privacy Policy. These range … The two houses control government policy. This article is based on an interview that aired on PRI’s Living on Earth with Steve Curwood. (Amsterdam, for example, has been the centre of diamond exchange for centuries.) The monarch, acting on the advice of the ministries, has the right to dissolve one or both chambers, at which time new elections are held. The second level is, for instance, spatial planning,” he explains. The Dutch have had such systems for a millennium, but water management became a greater priority after 1953’s flooding deaths. In The Netherlands a sophisticated system of spatial planning has come into existence (Burke, 1966, Alexander, 1988, Faludi and van der Valk, 1994).Looking backwards to the 1950s and 1960s, Holland came close to the ideal of the ‘planned society’ that Karl Mannheim had in mind when he wrote ‘planning in the Age of Reconstruction’. The number of rivercraft is probably unsurpassed by any other country. Explainer: Biden clashes with Trump in tale of two climate narratives, Greta Thunberg and youth climate protests make a return, This author argues that fighting climate change means focusing on 'Earth repair', EU to overhaul migration policy; China aims for net-zero emissions by 2060; Lukashenko inaugurated again in Belarus, How the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could spiral into bigger regional war. Rotterdam has the country’s best-equipped modern harbour, the largest on the continent. The World Bank estimates that investing a dollar in flood protection saves $7 to $10 in flood damage, but, “for some reason,” Zevenbergen says, “there is an investment gap. For example, in China, while newly built-up areas all face flooding problems, they can expand in “water-sensitive ways,” whereas transforming flood resilience in established urban areas could take at least a generation. For storm surges from the ocean, they are changing their approach from a purely defensive system to one that prepares for the failure of these systems — what Zevenbergen calls “multilevel protection.”. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. 1. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Much of the Netherlands is below sea level, with water always nearby. “Those cities are rapidly growing, but don't have the capacity to [develop] in a sustainable way that takes into account the threats from the rivers, storm surges and rainfall.”, Zevenbergen’s best advice for cities facing the threat of flood from rain or storm surge is this: “Don’t wait until the next flood disaster is coming to have a really serious look at your current situation and protection system.”, “In the Netherlands, we are not responding to flood disaster, we are anticipating a flood disaster,” Zevenbergen says. The Netherlands’ network of inland waterways, made up of some 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of rivers and canals, is linked with Belgian, French, and German systems. In the legislative process itself, the government and the parliament together pass judgment on the constitutionality of a bill under consideration. Professor van der Valk focuses his research on multiple land use in the metropolitan landscape. “The first level is our flood protection systems, the primary dike systems. Dutch elementary or primary school has eight grades, known as groepen. Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Pensions System In the Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(01)00221-3. The Netherlands effectively occupies the gutter of Europe, a lowlands bounded on one end by the North Sea, into which immense rivers like the Rhine and the Meuse flow from Germany, Belgium and France. For some 40 years, until it was eclipsed by busier Asian ports in the early 21st century, Rotterdam handled more tonnage than any other harbour in the world. Dutch civilization in the Golden Age (1609–1713), The period of French dominance (1795–1813), The Kingdom of Holland and the French Empire (1806–13), The Kingdom of the Netherlands (1814–1918), Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Netherland, Science Kids - Fun Science and Technology for Kids - Netherlands Facts, History World - History of The Netherlands, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Holocaust Encyclopedia - The Netherlands, The Catholic Encyclopedia - The Netherlands, Netherlands - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Netherlands - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up).