A VALUABLE EXCURSION TO THE SOUTHWESTERN COASTAL DELTA, THE NETHERLANDS

The Water Management Group of the WU Environmental Sciences Organization kindly set a pocket field trip for 08 PhD students with the support of Dr. Gerardo. However, the idea for the excursion was initially planned and prepared by Arjen, Martijn.

                                                              Group photo

At 7:20 AM, 16th, May 2014, a field trip started at the Bonsesteeg apartment building, Wageningen in a minibus driven by Arijen. A list of visiting locations were put in a schedule as follows:
7:00 depart from bornsesteeg
9:00-10:00 the philipsdam, vantage point, AZ explains about the volkerak-zoom lake and blue green algae
10:15-11:45 visit the watersnood museum
12:15-13:00 lunch in zierikzee
13:30-13:45 photo moment Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier
14:00-14:45 visit the town of Veere
16:30-17:30 biesbosch and noordwaard polder 
18:30 back in wageningen

Figure: The route of the field tip

Philipsdam:

           My first impression for the trip is the green tree space along the express ways which are hidden by barriers in some sections to avoiding noise for people living in residential areas. Specifically, people in the Netherlands are allocated in block buildings or village houses in residential areas which are built up along the street make a difference compared with Vietnam. During the route, we can also see some kinds of animals such as cow, sheep or even white kangaroos grazing grass in the farms which are owned by private Dutch families.

Reaching the coffee break dropped in a nice coffee restaurant, valuable explanations were taken by Dr. Gerardo, Arjen and Martijn during the field trip about the flood happened in the Netherlands 1953, which caused a severe damage for Dutch with nearly 2000 people died and a huge number of losses of houses and properties. In the situation, the Dutch government decided to have a historical revolution of large scale concrete water structures to protect the country against floods. With an urgent determination and agreement of government and people, a set of dams, dikes and related water items so-called Delta Water Works were constructed to convert the Netherlands to be one of the most a famous and successful countries worldwide in water management and flood control.

There are about 15 focal water works mostly concentrated in coastal areas have been build (information referred from a Vietnamese website) to manage floods and tide throughout the country, enabling a protection of more than haft area below sea water level against floods and being a safe place to live over 60 years. However, Dutch people never satisfy with existing conditions of delta works and elaborate many researches, projects and innovative strategies dealing with water body. Informed by Dr. Gerardo, Arijen and Martijn, a growing challenge of Dutch Delta Committee is the management of saline, brackish and fresh water for sustainable environment in the context of climate change and sea level rise in coming years. The Philipdam is one of the two constructions (together Oester Dam) built behind the Oosterschelde Barrier. This dam is functionally constructed for reducing fresh water upstream flowing to the salt marshes for oyster cultivation since the appearance of Oosterschelde Barrier has been decreased the contrast of high and low tide from the sea good for oyster harvesting. Moreover, the maintenance of a saline environment is needed for blue typical aquaculture such as oyster and shellfish. Another problem derives from the Volkerak zoom lake, which was a saline water ecosystem in the history. However, after the construction of the Philipdams, the Vorkerak dam was closed permanently and the zoom lake was assigned as fresh water storage for local living. Growing water pollution appears with the emergence of blue green algae due to the nutrient from agricultural area upstream flowing to the lake (Arjen research) and this problem should be solved.

Watersnood museum: It is true to be called "caisson" museum, since it is a structure of 4 huge caissons used as tools for barrier constructions after the flood in 1953. All things and information in relation to the flood are shown inside. A documentary film gave us special emotion about what the Dutch suffered and overcame the flood damages.

Town of Veere: A small ancient village/town is located near the river bringing refresh and cool felling after a tour around is done.

Biescbosch and noordwaard polder/or Martijn polder (hahaha): This is actually one of the largest national parks of the Netherlands and one of the last extensive areas of freshwater tidal wetlands in Northwestern Europe. The Biesbosch consists of a rather large network of rivers and smaller and larger creeks with islands. Ever taught by Martijn about the de-poldering area (with dikes and ditch network) during his fied trip in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, I was very eager to come. It is sided in a sensitive place, which initially maintains a natural ecosystem for local inhabitants. Entering a museum in the Biescbosch, it was nice to watch a video about the livelihood of 70 local families within the polders. The film also informed clearly the complex water regime in the region affected by both tide and upstream river discharge and about the contrast opinions from inhabitants. It is surprised since first time I can watch a video together with a presentation simulating the situation at the same time directly to a "polder model", it is really an animation scene. The problem which Martjn is elaborating for his PhD thesis is the reconstruction of ecosystem-based dikes. To the plan, the old dike will be cut with 4 intakes of about 100-200 meter width and allows flood water overflow during the flood season (in winter).

A thing I should not ignore to mention that a big Dutch dog running on the dike in Biescbosch is very lovely; a little Dutch worm in Zierikzee appeared in the lunch and welcomed the arrival of Mr. Wahid (Yemen), and a hurry drop for Mr.Long for catching up a train back to Amsterdam. All these things made the excursion more interesting and unforgettable.

In my opinion, all the interesting things learnt in the trip can contribute to a persuasion that the Netherlands is an ideal environment for student research. Again, on behalf of WMG PhD students, I would like express a sincere gratitude to Dr. Gerardo, Arjen and Martijn for giving us such a nicely unforgettable excursion.