Landsing

Abstract

Our project explores how landscapes and people are transformed when water is no longer controlled but invited in. To do that we had the following guiding question: How do landscapes change when we move from managing water to coexisting with it?

We used as a case study the Biesbosch, a river delta in the Netherlands. This area has been historically reclaimed from water for agriculture and settlements, a place where fighting water shapes a landscape that acts as an infrastructure. It is a place that has been submerged by water again and again through floods, making it the perfect testing ground for water management. A good example of this is the room for the river project which is the focus of our study: a national program launched in the early 2000s in response to increasing flood risks due to climate change. Instead of reinforcing dikes or further restricting water, the project takes a different approach: making space for rivers to expand during high water levels. This means lowering floodplains, relocating dikes further inland, and even removing buildings or farmlands that once occupied these zones. In the Biesbosch, this strategy transformed the land once again, from a controlled, agricultural area into a more dynamic, flood-resilient ecosystem. A shift in the mentality, from fighting with the water to negotiating with it. But while often praised as a success in climate adaptation and ecological restoration, this approach also involves trade-offs, including the displacement of people and the loss of familiar landscapes. Our project seeks to explore both sides of this transformation: policy and personal. This first iteration consists of two short films and a physical installation, aiming to communicate the historical shifts in the region as well as the emotional and social impact of these changes. We combined factual documentation with personal testimony to provide multiple perspectives on what it means to live in a landscape in transition.