Shaping the Narrative: Lessons from Dutch Water Management and Climate Resilience
PGS: Comparative Cultures of Resilience and Sustainability in the Netherlands and the United States
Allison, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad on a Penn Global Seminar. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.
If there’s one theme I’m taking away with me from our PGS trip in the Netherlands, it is “narrative.” The places we visited, the experts we spoke with, and the projects we explored were all part of a larger story—one that has been unfolding for centuries in the Netherlands as the country has battled rising seas, shifting river patterns, and land subsidence.
Over the course of eight days, we encountered different perspectives on how to manage water in a country where it defines the landscape, economy, and daily life. At Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), we learned about engineering-focused approaches, while speakers from NL2120 introduced us to hopeful, nature-based solutions.
I found the importance of diverse perspectives when we got to meet and talk to people, from government officials and engineers to spatial designers and Dutch students studying these topics every day. Truly, each voice contributes to an ongoing conversation about resilience and adaptation.
One of the highlights of the trip was presenting our team project about floating developments and homes to members of the Floating Future Research Project and students and professors from RDM Rotterdam. My teammates—Sarika Chennur, Peace Oloko, Morgan Noody, David Liu, and I—explored ways to address hesitation surrounding large-scale floating developments—a key innovation in adapting to rising sea levels—for the general public, investors, and policymakers. We thought a lot about how to effectively shape the narrative around floating homes to connect the idea of floating living to Dutch history and water management expertise to build cultural acceptance.
The research and strategy formulation behind this presentation deepened my understanding of floating structures as not just architectural innovations but as important components of sustainable urban planning.
Throughout Rotterdam and Amsterdam, we saw how cities themselves tell stories of adaptation. Our bike tours of climate-resilient sites showcased how urban design is becoming more responsive to environmental shifts. From water squares embedded in daily activities like school life to the sustainable urban development of the neighborhood Tuindorp Oostzaan, each project was a part of the cities’ ongoing adaptation to climate change.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the trip was the idea of meebewegen—the Dutch philosophy of “moving along” with water rather than resisting it. This was reflected in the floating neighborhood of Schoonschip, where homes adjust steadily with the rising tide, and the rewilding efforts at Brienenoord Island, a tidal park where nature is given the space to reclaim and reshape the land. These initiatives challenge the traditional narrative of controlling nature and instead embrace a future where adaptation means working with the environment rather than against it.
Whether bonding with my classmates or feeling the warmth and openness of Dutch experts and students, I left with a deep appreciation for the collaborative spirit that drives sustainable innovation. It’s truly the community coming together that creates solutions.
The story of Dutch adaptation is ongoing, and through this trip, we became part of it, learning how to apply these lessons to challenges beyond the Netherlands. Reflecting back, I realize that resilience is not just about technology or policy—it is also the storytelling that shapes the country’s people and culture. Because, in the end, adaptation is not just about surviving change; it is about shaping a future worth looking forward to.