[joelbluminator]

The Nederlands indeed does this and there is no talk of gradual retreat. We are too invested in the current system, retreating means relocating 7 million people and the economic heart of the country. So we built mega walls. No one really knows how much and how fast sea level will rise. The guesstimates vary wildly. So far, the last century sea levels increased very moderately.

[fsiefken]

Hi Joel, there is talk of gradual retreat by the experts. This was published in popular Dutch magazine (and perhaps talked about in talk shows, but I don't watch them), it was also published on the NOS site (the national news). Here is a translation from the VrijNederland page: Rolf Schuttenhelm. De zeespiegelstijging is een groter probleem dan we denken. En Nederland heeft geen plan B. 9 februari 2019.

We need to consider controlled withdrawal in due course,' says polar meteorologist Michiel van den Broeke of the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (IMAU) at Utrecht University. He emphasises that there are great uncertainties when it comes to the loss of ice in Antarctica, for example. This is even smaller now than in Greenland, but the ice loss has tripled in the past ten years. Will this acceleration continue?

Van den Broeke received the support of his Utrecht colleague Roderik van de Wal: 'The enormous long-term effects are usually neglected. There is a strong attitude in the Netherlands that we will solve the problems with adaptation. That's a misconception.

Glaciologist and climate change teacher Michiel Helsen also calls for a social discussion: 'Is living below sea level still responsible? In the long run, it is possible that we will not be able to preserve the western part of the Netherlands. I think it would be useful for society to discuss which parts of the Netherlands we want to defend at what price.'.

Van de Wal: 'If we continue like this, a large part of the Netherlands will have to be abandoned. Moving to Germany should be a topic of discussion. At some point there will be no turning back. And within ten or twenty years, we will be able to conclude that this point has been passed'.

Also see: Heleen Ekker. Kustlijn opgeven en het hogerop zoeken, dat is een plan B bij zeespiegelstijging. 9 februari. https://nos.nl/artikel/2271163-kustlijn-opgeven-en-het-hoger...

And 'Als Nederland onderloopt..' https://www.vn.nl/als-nederland-onderloopt-andere-problemen/

[joelbluminator]

Yes, I know about this. I wasn't accurate: let's say there is no practical talk or any actual government plan for retreat. The real estate market here is hotter than ever. More metros, airports and houses are being planned and built in the Randstad (that's the area that's under sea levels and the most important economic part of the land). Some experts think gradual retreat needs to be thought about, while many others think we can solve it by other means, or simply wait and see to get a feel for the sea level rise pace (which I think is the ideal way. we simply don't know enough yet). I'm taking an unpopular opinion here I guess but I just don't think we know enough to panic... I think the chance the Randstad would be evacuated in the next 50 - 100 years is about similar to the chance San Francisco would be evacuated; close to zero. Too much real estate, infrastructure, and historical treasures lie in these cities (think about Amsterdam for example). Even a massive sea dyke that costs about 80 billion euro, that would become a second coast for the Netherlands and could withhold 2-3 meter sea level rise, will be tried and built before you evacuate a trillion dollar worth of infrastructure.