Later on, dikes evolved into polders - flood barriers that restrain the floodwater and controlled it. You may see examples of dikes today in the French Quater of New Orleans, where they protect the area from the waters of the Mississippi River. It is aimed to stop flooding water and correct its stream. Technically a dike is a massive flood barrier built out of stones, sand, clay and other materials. Historical documents and archaeological records point that the first dikes were built here at the beginning of the XIII century. However, the strategic significance of the Netherlands became a reason why the whole world has somehow contributed to the development of efficient flood barriers for this land. Add to this a pretty flat terrain, and you get a land incredibly prone to flooding. However, most of the territory appears located way under sea level. Over 60% of that land border the Atlantic ocean, which initially made it one of the crucial transportation and trade knots. However, the best-known examples of flood barriers that are closest to those that we know and use date today back to the 500BC territory of the Netherlands. That is why they tried to control it since the dawn of times. People always understood that water can be a source of life as well as destruction. Unfortunately, for the very same reason, flooding has always been the #1 natural disaster that our ancestors suffered from. People always preferred to settle next to rivers and other water bodies as it provided the best condition for agriculture and the most efficient transportation for that time. Let`s have a brief overview of the flood control history.įloods have been accompanying mankind throughout its whole history. However, the barriers have gone a long way from their invention to modern design. The principle of flood control is pretty straightforward. ![]() That is why flood barriers are among the earliest human inventions.įlood barriers are supposed to prevent water from getting into a residential or business area, causing destruction and losses. Although recently their frequency is increasing dramatically due to climate change and global warming, humanity has been familiar with floods and their consequences centuries ago. Floods are natural disasters that happen worldwide.
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