An area in the Netherlands famous for its cheese is sinking, and it could take an iconic fare with it.
What's happening?
The cheese industry in Gouda, home to nearly 75,000 people, produces 60% of the nation's cheese, worth $1.7 billion, The New York Times reported. But as sea levels rise, rains increase, and the region continues to subside, some worry that Gouda is on its way out.
The Dutch are famous for managing the water that surrounds them. More than half the country is below sea level, but the use and evolution of dikes over hundreds of years has made the area livable and set an example for how other places can adapt to changes in the climate caused by human-caused rising temperatures.
One short-term solution has been to dam and pump water out of a canal and into rivers, but with parts of the city sinking anywhere from 3 millimeters to 6 millimeters to 1 centimeters to 2 centimeters every year, one alderman says there will be trouble in 15 to 25 years, as the Times reported.
"We have to find new solutions, because the solutions we've always used are not future proof. Just continuing to pump water out isn't practical, because eventually it will become too expensive," Michel Klijmij-van der Laan, a city alderman, told the outlet.
Gilles Erkens, a land subsidence expert, summed it up like this: "We're not in good shape. It's a very worrisome situation."
Why is this important?
One sustainable transitions specialist said the region will be underwater or made up of floating cities by 2100.
"I wouldn't expect much cheese from Gouda anymore in 100 years," Jan Rotmans told the Times. "If the land turns into water and the cows disappear, the cheese will have to come from the eastern part of the country, and it won't be Gouda anymore."
It will be exorbitantly expensive to ward off the water or adjust to it. Already buildings in the city center flood, and basements are "regularly … inundated," the Times reported. Cracks and mildew are present, too.
But even as rising water threatens the Netherlands, drought has become an issue. Up to 1 million Dutch homes are built on pilings, including 1,000 in Gouda, and the wood can rot without enough moisture. It could cost €100 billion ($110.2 billion) to fix the problem.
What's being done about the problem?
The Times reported that Gouda puts $22 million every year into mitigation efforts. The costs, which cover maintenance, repairs, and upgrades, are expected to skyrocket, Klijmij-van der Laan said.
Rotmans said the area is protected but vulnerable and that it might take a disaster to push officials to act urgently.
The Netherlands has also worked on protecting its coastline with a "sand motor." No matter the method, a solution is vital, as saltwater intrusion threatens our health.
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