Why is Britain flooded while Holland isn't?

[Mich the Tester]

Does the lack of hills make a difference to Holland? Their defences are more to do with keeping the sea out, whereas here we have half the rainfall of southern England rapidly running downhill into the Thames.

Holland has hills, just not very big ones, and there are the Eifel and Ardennes hills (big hills) to the east and south. You have a point though; it's often Limburg, the hilliest province 9where the hillbillies live) that get flooded early on.

But there are more similarities in geographical terms; the south east of England is pretty flat, and all built in the flood plain of the Thames, just as NL is basically a big swamp in the flood plain of the lower Rhine.

Is it really such a great idea to keep building in flood plains if you aren't prepared to put gazillions of pounds into water management, as in dykes, run off areas, man made swamps, pumps and so on? Holland spends umpteen bajillions of euros every year on this stuff.

[Bellona]

Is it really such a great idea to keep building in flood plains if you aren't prepared to put gazillions of pounds into water management, as in dykes, run off areas, man made swamps, pumps and so on? Holland spends umpteen bajillions of euros every year on this stuff.

Methinks you just answered you own question very succinctly

[darmstadt]

Is it really such a great idea to keep building in flood plains if you aren't prepared to put gazillions of pounds into water management, as in dykes, run off areas, man made swamps, pumps and so on? Holland spends umpteen bajillions of euros every year on this stuff.

These, and some research on them, will explain why:

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ership-funding

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...und-prospectus

[petergriffin]

So why are we OK over here, and Britain is suffering such a mess?

Because the Dutch plan 50 years in advance. Their next revision of the dams will be in 2055 or something (I've read it on the Dagblad).

Have you watched that documentary on the NOS about the floods in Somerset? One of the villagers screamed: "Please Dutch! You helped us 300 years ago, you could help us again now."

I am not sure what he was referring to but apparently river flood control dates back to 300 years ago and was done by Dutch engineers.

Anyway according to the DM it's foreign aid that caused the floods. Once UKIP is in power and stops foreign aid, all will be sorted!

[BrilloPad]

Is it because Holland is a god fearing country while in the UK we have homosexuals?

[Flashman]

Holland has hills, just not very big ones, and there are the Eifel and Ardennes hills (big hills) to the east and south. You have a point though; it's often Limburg, the hilliest province 9where the hillbillies live) that get flooded early on.

But there are more similarities in geographical terms; the south east of England is pretty flat, and all built in the flood plain of the Thames, just as NL is basically a big swamp in the flood plain of the lower Rhine.

Is it really such a great idea to keep building in flood plains if you aren't prepared to put gazillions of pounds into water management, as in dykes, run off areas, man made swamps, pumps and so on? Holland spends umpteen bajillions of euros every year on this stuff.

Our glorious Environment Agency which employs far more people than pretty much every country in Europe has been overrun by the Green Nutter Brigade. The GNB's much prefer to spend money on bird sanctuaries rather than people.

[doodab]

Our glorious Environment Agency which employs far more people than pretty much every country in Europe has been overrun by the Green Nutter Brigade. The GNB's much prefer to spend money on bird sanctuaries rather than people.

It depends what you prefer. Birds or Dykes?

[Flashman]

It depends what you prefer. Birds or Dykes?

Just watching the 6 o clock News and its clear the BBC are now officially in hysteria mode. "WORST STORM EVER, EVER. PREPARE FOR THY DOOM*

(* I think they actually mean higher Green taxes)

[MicrosoftBob]

Is it because Holland is a god fearing country while in the UK we have homosexuals?

I thought it was the dykes in Holland that stopped all the flooding

[TykeMerc]

Is it really such a great idea to keep building in flood plains if you aren't prepared to put gazillions of pounds into water management, as in dykes, run off areas, man made swamps, pumps and so on? Holland spends umpteen bajillions of euros every year on this stuff.

That's why Holland isn't flooded and the UK is despite similar proportions of it pissing it down. In the UK not only do we not do that, but we build executive houses by the thousand on flood plains, drained marshes and grubbed up woodlands.

The Dutch manage the fact they live in a swamp and accept it, the Brits ignore the fact that it's a sodding wet country we live in and if you slap houses for BMW drivers all over the place they will scream like mad when their car is under water.