[simplemts]

From the perspective of an American living in the Netherlands for several years now...

The Dutch are light years ahead in their Water management from the US, and far ahead of any other developed nation. The Dutch have a separate tax for Water to ensure money is there to prioritize this need, the citizens/children are all educated on the importance of water management (i.e. Indoctrination from young so EVERY citizen knows how important it is).

Highly recommend everyone watch/read about the dam they built in the North Sea.

In short, they will be fine. This is a core part of their culture, investment, and priority.

[Aaargh20318]

> The Dutch have a separate tax for Water to ensure money is there to prioritize this need

Also, the local government bodies that runs this (the 'waterschappen') form one of the oldest democratic systems in the world.

> In short, they will be fine. This is a core part of their culture, investment, and priority.

It's also one of the things there isn't ever any real political discussion about, it just never comes up. No one will ever suggest cutting the budget for this. It's just something we all agree needs to be done so we just do it.

[ragebol]

Every time there is elections for the waterboard ("Waterschap"), there is a very low turnout and talks to just merge them into the provincial governments. But I guess we'll only know what we miss once it's gone.

[rnentjes]

> No one will ever suggest cutting the budget for this.

This is not completely true, farmers have been protesting the increase of this tax: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/4942211/we...

[century19]

> Highly recommend everyone watch/read about the dam they built in the North Sea.

Watch what?

[mcv]

About the Afsluitdijk. It's not really in the North Sea, it's separating the Wadden Sea from the former Zuiderzee, now the IJsselmeer.

[simplemts]

^ This. Thank you for the correction and more accurate description.