Imagine a giant machine spreading sand along miles of beach to protect the coastline from rising oceans, but being spread by the oceans themselves — at no charge. Here’s a fabulous piece this week on NOLA.com about how the Dutch are finding new and inexpensive ways to avoid dredging on their low-lying coasts and how that could apply to the U.S. Gulf Coast states like Louisiana.

“ … the goal of this monumental, $55 million sandscaping project was protection, not recreation. Called the Zandmotor (Sand Motor in English), the project is the world’s largest experiment in coastal storm and flood defense at a time when climate change is causing seas to rise and storms to intensify.”

This is the second installment of a Times-Picayune and Advocate series produced in collaboration with WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and Climate Central, and is part of the Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. 

Read Water Ways: How the Dutch are building coastal protection for less — with nature’s help

Photo: Nederlands Zandmotor. Pmblom/Wikipedia.