is it true that people in Holland use water as a renewable resource to pump seawater out of their lowlands​

The history of the Netherlands is strongly linked to water. Its distinctive orography has led the country to maintain a love-hate relationship with the sea that surrounds it. Its famous coast, canals, ponds, channels, ditches and rivers have led it to become a reference in matters of agriculture. On the other hand, the overflowing of rivers and the high tides have forced it, since the late Middle Ages, to seek techniques to resist the onslaught of nature.

This strong historical link with water is precisely what has determined the name of this country whose translation is something like “Lowland” or “Low Territory“, since it is located in a region of floodable areas in certain periods and where the sea used to pass. One of the oldest sayings in the country is that “God created the Earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands”, which is true because going back to the 12th century, we can see how the Dutch developed a system to gain ground on the sea and the lakes, the so-called polder.

The polder consists of a system that isolates portions of water by means of dikes, the drainage of stagnant water and the subsequent drying of the land. These lands are located at or below sea level and have allowed for the sea to retreat for centuries, in addition to allowing for the land to be cultivated. However, problems arose as the land sank to the level of groundwater when compacted. When the water was drained, the land collapsed, causing further flooding which necessitated new drainage. To resolve this, the Dutch created channels with locks near the rivers to carry the surplus water from the polders, although this type of mechanism was only feasible if the river level was low; in case the river level rose too much it would end up flooding the land again. (Fundacion aquae, n. d.)

With the intention of putting an end to the frequent floods, particularly during rainy periods, the polders were surrounded by dikes and channels, preventing floods from ruining the cultivated land. Despite the efforts, it was necessary to further innovate since the system was no longer efficient enough and the land was left swampy. These new challenges implied new techniques, which is why the 15th century saw the beginning of the use of wind drainage.

Mills were placed between the polder and the exit pond to pump the water. This system improved the situation in the countryside but still posed a problem when ponds were filled. Pumping the water from the ponds caused cost-related issues, and financing this technique became a key challenge. Faced with the farmers unable to afford this, they decided to organize themselves into villages where each farmer was responsible for a part of the dam; later each village would have its own management and the water boards, called Waterschappen, emerged. (Koohafkan, 2010)