Gouda cheese has a terrible enemy: climate change is already in danger of flooding one of its most emblematic places. It may sound strange, but everything is explained by a combination of history, architecture, sea level rise and the complex panorama in front of the city of Gouda in South Holland (Zuid-Holland), from which it takes its name.

We explain ourselves.

A city for cheese. Gouda has a rich and ancient history, a strong heritage, among which the Gothic town hall and the Sint Janskerk church stand out, and its ceramics are highly acclaimed among connoisseurs. If this small town in Zuid-Holland is known for one thing, it is also known for another: in this case, the cuisine: Gouda cheese, which takes its name from the local market and whose origins date back to the 14th century. and where large, shiny wheels are still on sale every Thursday from April to August.

Over the centuries, Gouda cheese has become so famous that its production has spread to the province of North Holland and other parts of the Netherlands, but the city and market of Gouda remain a reference in the sector. The EU protects two varieties: Holland Gouda and Noord-Hollandse Gouda; the latter is slightly less salty and is made from Noord-Holland milk.

This date… and work. Gouda cheese stands out for more than just its flavor, history and tradition. It’s also a huge business. A report by Zuivel NL shows that in 2022, the Dutch industry dedicated to milk processing processed around 14.1 billion kilos of milk, just over half of which was devoted to cheese production. Around 60% of production was Gouda.

Statista estimates that Gouda’s exports reached 1,260 million euros in 2021, well above Edam (319 million euros), for example. Its biggest markets are Germany and Belgium, but it is also in demand in the rest of Europe and even further afield, such as Japan and South Korea.

Even though its production spread to North Holland and the rest of the Netherlands as it gained popularity, the city and region of Gouda remain a reference: it takes its name from here, its centuries-old market is still in operation and the cows grazing on the meadows from which the cheese is made are still prepared in the traditional way in the local polders.

A city under threat. Despite a very long cheesemaking tradition, the Gouda market faces an uncertain future. As I explained a few days ago New York Times The city of Gouda, built on a peat bog, is slowly sinking, a report recalled. The risk is certainly not new, but it has been exacerbated by rains and sea level rise caused by climate change, which is already threatening the river delta in which it is located.

“This is a very worrying situation,” Gilles Erkens, a professor at Utrecht University, told the New York newspaper. Another expert, Jan Rotmans from Erasmus University Rotterdam, even made predictions concluding that the Dutch region of Gouda will suffer the consequences of the rising water level of the Groene Hart (or Green Heart in English).

A complex future“I didn’t expect that there would be so much Gouda cheese in 100 years. If the land turns to water and the cows disappear, the cheese will have to come from the eastern part of the country and there will be no more Gouda,” Rotmans says. New York TimesThe scenario is also not bright for experts at Utrecht University who study high tides and rising sea levels, who warn that Groene Hart “is facing water loss, land subsidence and biodiversity loss.”

“We have time until 2040 or 2050”This is the horizon that Gouda city council member Michael Klijmij-van der Laal emphasizes that the city has at its disposal to provide itself with a plan and “new solutions”. “What we have always used is not ready for the future. It is not practical to continue pumping water, it is too expensive.”

Gouda currently spends $22 million a year on measures such as repairing, improving or replacing pipes. And the estimates are that this amount will continue to rise. If there is one piece of information that will cast a shadow over the city’s future, it is that it is estimated to be sinking between 3 millimeters and 2 centimeters every year, depending on the urban area analyzed.

Beyond GoudaThe problem is explained by a number of factors, including the Dutch geography – it is estimated that around 7% of the land is reclaimed from the sea, with most of it at or below water level – the threat of flooding that plagues the country, a complex system of polders, canals, dams and dykes, and the challenges posed by climate change. In fact, Gouda, built on peat covered in a layer of rubble, is not the only city in the Netherlands to be dealing with this scenario.

“Nine million people live and work in a region where the land is sinking,” he says National Geographic Gilles Erkens from Deltares. “The whole of the Netherlands is sinking, including cities such as Amsterdam, Almere, as well as Grisia, Groningen, Ultrecht, Overijssel, Flevoland and Zeeland. If sea levels rise, every centimeter lost will worsen our prospects.”

Eight years ago, the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) got out its calculator and estimated that by 2050 the total damage to buildings and infrastructure in the country due to land subsidence, and the cost of repairing foundations, could reach a devastating figure: around €20,000 million.

Solutions are being checked. They are already looking for a solution in Gouda. In 2020 Netherlands News The City Council is considering lowering the water table in one part of the city by 25cm, he said. The aim was to combat flooding caused by land subsidence, but the proposal also made clear how complex the problem is: some neighbours warned that lowering the water level in one area could transfer the problem to another, and insisted on the risks of leaving poles dry in the area, which is home to dozens of homes.

The city recently approved the “Gouda Firm City” plan, which aims to sensitively manage water levels in the centre by using dams on both sides of the Turfmarkt canal and pumping water. Meanwhile, buildings in the old town are already at risk of flooding and water lilies are blooming almost at street level.

Images | Bertknot (Flickr) 1 and 2

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