Netherlands: Geography and Environmental Policies

Netherlands

• Forty different projects were created for the Room for River initiative to set aside land to accommodate flooding.
• People had to leave their homes and farmlands as a result of being in flood zones.
• Rewilding projects utilize beavers, otters, badgers ("nature's engineers") to help combat water-related issues.
• 99.9% of households have access to clean, chlorine-free drinking water without needing treatment.
• The Port of Rotterdam is the second-largest port globally and the largest in Europe.
• It is a bicycle capital with more bikes than people, and some municipalities have no cars, only bikes.
• The Hague is located in the Netherlands which is the international law capital and international city of peace and justice.
• The Netherlands is susceptible to air pollution due to its geography, as air flows towards it and collects in the basin from areas like the UK, France, and Germany.
• Dutch solutions are policy-driven, featuring some of the most advanced frameworks for sustainability among industrialized nations, with a national environmental policy plan adopted in 1989.
• A master plan has been implemented, reaching 70% of its green plan goals related to water treatment, waste management, and air emissions.
• Citizens in the Netherlands pay green taxes and the country is one of the happiest in the world.

India

• India constitutes 4% of Earth's land area but accounts for ¼ of the human population.
• Most of India was part of the British Empire until the 1940s.
• Tectonic evolution continues today with the Indian and Eurasian plates colliding to create the Himalayas, causing numerous earthquakes.
• Key rivers include the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra Rivers.
• Dams regulate water flow in these rivers.
• Monsoons are a significant weather pattern involving a low-pressure system from intense heat.
• The system brings moist ocean air to the continent, causing condensation and rain, with winds from the Arabian Sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east, creating wet and dry seasons.
• Annual monsoons bring 75% of rainfall to India.
• 70% of the population depends on farming, and 58% of total employment is in agriculture.
• Climate change leads to erratic monsoon seasons, which are becoming more intense.

Bangladesh

• Bangladesh is low-lying, like the Netherlands, but lacks the technology to manage flooding effectively.
• There are approximately 700 rivers in Bangladesh.
• The country is almost entirely flat and below sea level.
• The birth rate has declined from 6.33 births per adult female in 1975 to 2.15 today, indicating a loss of live birth rate.
• Bangladesh was part of the British Empire until 1947 and known as East Pakistan, not fully independent until 1972.
• It is a democratic country but faces a super volatile situation.
• Bangladesh has a good economic growth rate and is among the top 3 fastest-growing economies but experiences income disparity and is the 2nd largest exporter of clothes.
• Companies receive bailouts, loan rescheduling, tax exemptions, subsidies, and licensing.
• There is a lack of social protection programs, hindering poverty alleviation.
• Families facing hardship due to COVID-19 sometimes marry off underage female children, with 77% of brides being under 18 and 61% under 16 during the pandemic.
• Many people engage in unpleasant jobs like shipbreaking in Chittagong due to a lack of job opportunities in the north.
• A significant portion of the population, 25%, is under 18.
• Over 80% of Bangladesh's steel comes from ship salvaging and is melted for construction.
• In 2013, accidents killed nearly 2 workers a month in Chittagong, where exposure to hazardous materials like lead, asbestos, and PCBs caused more fatalities.
• Workers face occupational and health and safety hazards with no equipment, safety measures, or medical care, often working 12-16 hours a day.
• Toxins and plastic from shipbreaking pollute the Bay.
• Dhaka, one of the largest cities in Bangladesh, exhibits wealth inequality with some of the wealthiest areas alongside giant slums.

Bhutan

• Bhutan is sandwiched between India and China.
• Monarchs have ruled since 1907, and there has been a democratic division of power between officials since 1953.
• In 1998, the king shifted power to cabinet ministries, becoming the head of state, with the government managed by a prime minister, all voluntarily.
• The 4th king initiated the process for the country to become fully democratic, with the first election in 2008 and three branches of government.
• The legislative body consists of the ruling political party, opposition party, and national council.
• There is an age rule and impeachment rule for the king, who must step down by 65.
• Bhutan has strict rules, including limited internet access until 1999, limits visitors, and daily fees for visitors.
• The country maintains a balance between development and environmental conservation.
• It is the only country with a constitutional mandate to maintain 60% of its land under forest coverage at all times, operating as a carbon-negative economy, absorbing 6 million tons and releasing 2.5 million tons annually.
• There are no traffic lights with traffic managed by police.
• Bhutan uses the Gross National Happiness Index
  • Equitable and equal socio-economic development
  • Preservation and promotion of cultural and spiritual heritage
  • Conservation of environment
  • Good governance which are interwoven, complementary, and consistent.
• The index measures 33 indicators and 9 domains.
• It categorizes the population into four groups: unhappy, narrowly happy, extensively happy, and deeply happy.