Dutch Dikes - Hardcover

The Netherlands has many thousands of dikes. A pivotal element in the Dutch landscape and one of the oldest features of the country's extensive water management program, the dikes of the Netherlands have significant cultural, historical and environmental value. But despite their importance to the history, economy and culture of the Netherlands (and their contemporary international relevance as the world scrambles to develop and implement effective flood-control strategies), Dutch dikes have never been properly mapped out or systematically studied. Many of them fail to meet current safety standards, though they are still a ubiquitous presence in the Dutch landscape. In this book, built around research producing the first dike map of the Netherlands, the Dutch dikes are for the first time described, interpreted and portrayed in all of their surprising variety of functions and guises.

The Netherlands has many thousands of dikes. Dikes are the conveyors of our landscape, and have great cultural-historical value. We live in dike houses on the Waalbanddijk, cycle along the meandering Omringdijk in West Friesland, or visit the monument on the Afsluitdijk. Nevertheless, quite a few of the dikes fail to meet current safety standards. In order to guarantee our safety, knowledge about dikes is therefore necessary. It is time for an overview as well as a look towards the future, in a standard work: Dutch Dikes. Despite their importance to our history, economy, culture, and nature, our dikes have never been properly mapped out. This is remarkable, because without dikes, the Netherlands would never have existed; they are our most important invention. In this book, based on the first Dike Map of the Netherlands, the Dutch dikes will for the first time be described, interpreted, and portrayed in their entirety: from primary embankment to relict, from seawall to waterline dike, and from dreamer dike to watchman dike. The list of the top 100 dikes shows the most remarkable dikes of the Netherlands.