It's the water board stupid!

In the November 13, 2009 issue of Time, writer Stephan Faris addresses climate change with his article, "What If The Water Wins? Holland, master of resisting the sea, may shift strategies in a warmer, wetter world." The article addresses both Dutch technology and master planning. The technology discussion outlines Dutch advances in dams, dikes, locks and gates - engineering the grand barrier. The master planning component recognizes that taller dikes just magnify the consequences of failure. Thus, the Dutch are experimenting with surrendering turf to the water altogether, purposely flooding some areas to protect more vulnerable zones downstream.

But the most telling and important information comes at the end of the article in which Faris notes:

Yet the secret to the Netherlands' success isn't the strength of its barriers. "It looks like science and engineering," says Piet Dircke, an urban-water-management consultant at Arcadis. "But the main lesson to learn from the Dutch is funding." The country is divided into water boards, elected bodies with the ability to levy taxes whose sole responsibility is to provide safety from the waves. First formed in the Middle Ages, the water boards are the country's oldest form of representational government and a major factor in its flood-proofing prowess. "The value of a dike is only seen when it fails, " says Huizinga [Vice Minister for Transport, Public Works and Water Management]. "The water boards mean that there is always the money to maintain them."

That's the significance of Dutch history for the talks in Copenhagen, where the allocation of adaptation funding for the poorest countries is shaping up to be a major point of contention. While the Netherlands can afford to keep its citizens dry, countries like Bangladesh - equally threatened by global warming - simply can't. The World Bank has estimated an annual cost to developing countries of $75 billion to $100 billion to adapt to rising sea levels. But rich countries have been reluctant to commit the funds. In the run up to the talks, the Dutch were among the first to stress the importance of adaption. They, more than anybody else, should know what that will take.