Given the utter mess they made of their own country it's probably just as well the Dutch are trying hard. They'll never make it what it once was though.
The Dutch dug out so much peat from their country much of it ended up lower than the sea. Which then started to leak in. That's why they're famous for their windmills, they used them to pump the water back out. They're still pumping out now and will do forever more so they aren't very Eco friendly, but no doubt doing their best now.
As an owner of umpteen acres of ancient farm land (which used to be forest!) then doing the right thing and including some rewilding is important to me, but it's far from simple.
As a former Dutch resident, I must strongly defend them. The reason for the constant water pumping, is not due to Peat extraction, but the fact that 80% of Holland is below sea level. Their eco credentials make our attempts look fairly pathetic.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
It's an interesting that anyone could dig a country out to the extent that it ends up below sea level. The 'Low Countries" are low because they were part of the north sea flood plain until they were drained. The Netherlands (clue's in the name) holds the mouths of three major rivers. They drained the lands and built the system of dykes because the earth is rich and fertile. https://www.thoughtco.com/polders-and-dikes-of-the-netherlands-1435535
@MikeOxgreen You own "umpteen acres" of ancient farmland and are "doing the right thing"? Could you give more details?
Posts
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/20/dutch-rewilding-project-turns-back-the-clock-500-years-aoe
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ocean?
The Dutch dug out so much peat from their country much of it ended up lower than the sea.
Which then started to leak in. That's why they're famous for their windmills, they used them to pump the water back out. They're still pumping out now and will do forever more so they aren't very Eco friendly, but no doubt doing their best now.
As an owner of umpteen acres of ancient farm land (which used to be forest!) then doing the right thing and including some rewilding is important to me, but it's far from simple.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.