The New Land: Flevoland

The polder Nowadays, the Netherlands has around 9000 poldered zones or regions. This unique landscape is world famous. [Sound of helicopter chopping] Many of these polders were dried out centuries ago. They still lie under sea level. This level is indicated by the Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP). If we stand on the dike, we can observe the water on the Ijsselmeer on one side and land on the other side, as far as the eye can see. And it is difficult to realize that it was seawater that pounded these shores not so very long ago. That ship sailed here "The huge machines of the Wortman pumping station alone expel a million-and-a-half litres of water a minutes. Since the beginning of the water drainage, the water level in the polder has already decreased by more than one metre." And in the meantime, the three pumping stations continue relentlessly. Without dikes, water pumping stations and polders, one third of the Netherlands would be underwater. [Water flowing] [Violin music]

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[Dramatic music] Water, this is vital for all people, but it can also be life threatening. Such as in 1916, when a large parts of Holland flooded all-around the Zuiderzee. This was the reason to carry out the plan of Cornelis Lely, engineer and Minister of water management It was a majestic plan which he had already invented years before: the imporldering of a part of the Zuiderzee to improve the protection of the people against the water and to make space for agricultural land. "So this is how the building of the mebankment began in 1927 with the aim to separate the water from the sea. Step by step, the large-scale plan was carefully executed. Everything was thought of, even which inhabitants would fit in best in certain areas; they became the proud pioneers of their own land. From the bottom of the sea, the province of Flevoland was born. A landscape created by smart engineers, perserving constructors and adventurous farmers." When Flevoland had been completed it appeared that some of the plans worked better on paper than in real life. This fact created new challenges for the inhabitants and the administrators of the province. Besides this, the area is threatened by the high water every day, which makes it necessary that a system of pumps takes care of the soil to keep it exactly dry enough. But the residents of Flevoland wouldn't be real Flevoland inhabitants if they would not keep on cherishing and improving their land courageously. "The drawing lines of the paper have been brought to life and nature, life and work have gradually found a better balance. The challenge for the pioneers of today is the preservation of the land and to make it an even more beautiful place for the next generations to come." "For instance, hard work is being done to keep the agricultural areas fertile and the dykes and the quality of water are carefully kept an eye on. Due to all the cliamte changes bigger differences between dry and wet periods need to be extra supported by smart technologies. Moreover, Flevoland has a special water history and that's why important highlights and events are given the attention they deserve. All this takes place in coopertaion with the people of Flevoland, who know their area like no other. In this way, the provice keeps in motion and people can continue to develop themselves in the future, as well as the environment and trade, despite but mainly thanks to the water!" For you can take the water out of Flevoland, but you can't take Flevoland our of the water! Would you like to dive deeper into the water of Flevoland? Go to www.flevoland.nl