With Host Professor Joseph Schofer of Northwestern University.

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Photo of the Maeslantkering barrier, courtesy of the Rijkswaterstaat

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The Netherlands flood control infrastructure – on the 60th anniversary of the North Sea Flood, a look at the impressive accomplishments

Posted July 19, 2013, Length: 20:47

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the catastrophic North Sea Flood of 1953, which occurred on January 31 and Feb. 1 of that year due to a combination of very high tides and a storm with gale-force winds. The storm surge overwhelmed many of the sea defenses in the countries bordering the North Sea. The worst flooding was in the Netherlands, where 1,836 deaths were recorded. The response to the tragedy was the creation of the Delta Works Commission, which in the following decades transformed the Netherlands flood protection system into the outstanding infrastructure it is today. The hosts talk about the Delta Works with Henk Ovink, who is currently senior advisor to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan in his role of Chair of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. Before joining the Task Force last April, Mr. Ovink was Director General for Spatial Planning and Water Affairs and Director of National Spatial Planning for the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment in the Netherlands.

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