Dutch Glory should not become faded glory

The largest lock in the world was officially opened this week and it is located in the Netherlands. Zeesluis IJmuiden is an imposing structure with a length of half a kilometer, and as is the case with this type of waterworks, the opening touches on feelings of national pride. Something the Dutch could use again.

With the new sea lock, the port of Amsterdam is ‘guaranteed again for a long time of reliable sea access’, according to the Port of Amsterdam. The new lock is ‘tidal-independent’; ships no longer have to wait for high water to continue sailing. The port authority points to Amsterdam’s position as a ‘sustainable and circular energy and raw materials hub’ and emphasizes – rightly – that the 21st-century economy also needs tangible infrastructure. In terms of engineering, the IJmuiden Sea Lock is a world-class achievement. Although after the necessary completion and financing problems, it is not an IKEA cabinet that you put together.

And yet it is striking that this expression of Dutch Glory has a striking new aftertaste. Since such a new lock will remain in place for at least a century, the question arises in this transition period as to how future-proof this type of large construction actually is. Critics’ concerns about environmental consequences and the lack of a coherent vision for the future of the Dutch landscape are not entirely out of the blue. Because what future purpose does such a megalock serve exactly?

Container ships are not coming – they go to Rotterdam and Antwerp. At a time when less use of raw materials is important, a huge sluice for raw materials transport seems a bit tone-deaf. The cruise ships that pass through it are also increasingly known as major polluters and bringers of undesirable mass tourism. Amsterdam wants emissions from sea cruise ships at the quay to be reduced by 50 percent by 2030. Does a ‘red carpet’ for mega ships match those ambitions?

The opening of the sea lock is therefore also a great opportunity to discuss the future of the Dutch landscape and the economic mainports in more detail: these are becoming less ‘main’. Beyond the dominance of heavy industry, ports and airports, a different economic reality looms.

Researchers from Wageningen University & Research outlined a scenario that in the year 2120 the Dutch landscape will have a great need for so-called nature-inclusive infrastructure: construction projects that work with nature instead of against it. Infrastructure that has economic and ecological benefits. Think of flood defenses that function simultaneously as a nature park and ecological (water) area. For example, in New York such a project, the Dry Line, is under construction.

In that regard, the IJmuiden Sea Lock is free old school. By widening the lock, twice as much salt water enters the North Sea Canal, which affects ecosystems, agriculture and drinking water. Wouldn’t it be more in keeping with the spirit of the times to put the consequences for the living environment and ecosystems even more central in design and construction? Can’t large infrastructural projects that mark the landscape for a century or more be even more creative, greener, more visionary and therefore more future-proof? These questions do not have to stand in the way of engineering pride about the new waterworks performance. But Hollands Glorie should not become a faded glory.