It’s actually true that the Dutch are good water engineers. It’s just slightly annoying that the Dutch themselves are fond of telling us that, and then like to remind us frequently of that fact. Nonetheless, here’s a roundup of Dutch water engineering stuff. A lot of it is just using data analysis and computer simulations to predict what is going to happen and then designing clever interventions to nudge it one way or another. That is good basic engineering using modern tools, and not always done in other countries where political priorities lie elsewhere. Some of it is just a willingness and ability to pay for the aesthetic side of design, even if it costs a lot and takes a long time. The Dutch are patient, science- and logic-driven, and rational. I suppose they have earned the right to be just a tiny bit smug about it.