Water: The driving force of all nature

When I think of water, I think a few things: 1. I should probably drink more of it. 2. It’s raining outside (again!). 3. So weird to know that up to 60% of our bodies is made up of water. 4. I look forward to summer, sea & fun by the lake. 5. Now that I’ve already come to point 5, we can conclude that water is a major part of life. In fact, it’s the driving force of nature. Exactly why the upcoming elections are so important for us Dutchies to go and vote. In this post I will tell you a bit more about water, why the water boards (waterschappen in Dutch) are so important in a land like ours, which is why we should all go and vote on March, 20th.

Last week my friend Carmen and I were invited for a boat trip through Spaarndam. It would have been super cute and joyful if it had not rained, but let’s be honest… That’s also part of The Netherlands. Even though there was almost more water coming from the sky than there was water underneath our boat, we had a lot of fun and learned more about the water boards and what they do for our country.

I consider myself an intelligent woman, but I also know that I tend to enjoy my life way too much to ever be concerned about the things that seem to come so naturally. How naturally, however, are they really? Dry feet and clean water in the Amsterdam canals for example is not something we should take for granted. My little boat trip of last week taught me that there’s a passionate group of water workers that make it all possible for us. And behind them are the ones that make notable decisions to lead everything in the right direction. More information about the water boards & their campaigns here.

Last year, we had an amazing summer: dry, sunny and barely rain. For me it was perfect, but for the waterboards of Rijnland it was a complete disaster as it was something our country had not experienced in a long time and they had to put in a lot of work & effort to keep the harvests and fishes safe and our waters up to standards. It was so interesting to learn more about what they do for our country and see that we all have one thing in common: we love our low lands and share a passion for water whether it is for work or pleasure.

What kind of water lover are you? Do you live close to water? Do you enjoy water activities for recreation? Stand up paddling, sailing, plunging into a lake. I am happiest when I am close to or on water. Luckily, it’s all around us and taken care of by the water boards so we can have the best of it; avoid flooding and enjoy clean water. Or as they say “droge voeten, schoon water”. But they do so much more…

Did you know…

• that wastewater can be converted into biogas, heat & electricity? Some waterboards will strive to prevent climate change by generating energy this way.
• that the water standards influence the amount of birds that are able to live around the polders? Waterboards take care for natural shores.

We, you and I, can co-decide how money is spent and which decisions are made. I have already received my voting pass and will definitely be voting on March, 20th. How about you?

In collaboration with waterschapsverkiezingen.nl