Urgency to adapt to climate change in the Netherlands

Prof. Co Verdaas (Delta Programme Commissioner at Dutch Government)

The Delta Commissioner focuses on the Netherlands as a delta, highlighting its unique landscape where, without flood protection, 60% of the area would be at risk. In this region, 10 million inhabitants live behind the dikes, and two-thirds of its GDP is generated here. The Delta Programme explores the critical question of how people can continue living and working in this vulnerable country amid ongoing urbanization and major investments in housing, energy transition, and mobility. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among diverse partners—water managers, spatial planners, urban designers, residents, and businesses. Scientific knowledge, including delta scenarios and sea-level rise research, plays a crucial role in guiding these efforts. Climate change is making the Netherlands wetter, drier, and hotter, with rising sea levels threatening historic cities and increasing heat stress, such as near Rotterdam’s World Trade Center. Despite these pressures, the country can remain habitable and economically active by adapting to the changing environment. Climate adaptation also involves risk acceptance; society must learn to live with both water and heat. By embracing innovation, cooperation, and science, the Netherlands can continue to thrive as a resilient delta.

The urban climate and early-life health: safeguarding our future heritage

Dr. Jasper Been (Consultant Neonatologist at Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam)

The health of our living environment is under pressure. But what does that mean for our own health? And for the health of future generations? And for our ambition to give every child the promising start they deserve?

The foundation for health throughout life is laid at the very beginning. Health disparities already arise in the first 1,000 days of life. Research increasingly shows that our living environment has a huge impact during this time—starting even before birth. This affects the society, but not equally so: the biggest risks are faced by people who already live in vulnerable situations.

Take increasing urban heat, for example: exposure to heat leads to more premature births and babies being born much too small. Pollution also affects unborn babies and can reach the baby through the placenta. Such a poor start in life can have lifelong consequences for the child and the family. It also drives health inequality and results in high costs. The good news is that adequate adjustments to our living environment can benefit health and reduce in equalities, including in early life.

How can we ensure that our surroundings are designed in a way that allows children—now and in the future—to develop in the best possible way? To answer that question, it is important that scientists increasingly collaborate across disciplines but also with public institutions, private parties, citizens, and policymakers. And that research findings are shared with various stakeholders so that changes in the living environment can contribute to better health for future generations. This helps prevent additional strain on our healthcare system, which already faces serious capacity issues.

This requires a ‘Health in all policies’ approach: a strategy where health impact is considered for every policy proposal—even when the connection to health might not seem obvious at first. Together, we can ensure that climate-resilient cities and a healthier planet contribute to a just and healthy future for all.”