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'I Was Born Below Sea Level': Outgoing Dutch Consul General Talks Sea Level Rise At Home, In SoFla

Sunny Isles-based artist Gustavo Rodriguez, aka "Garrincha," created a caricature of Olijslager as a going-away gift. He got to know Olijslager while leading a workshop organized by the Dutch consulate.
Gustavo Rodriguez
Sunny Isles-based artist Gustavo Rodriguez, aka "Garrincha," created a caricature of Olijslager as a going-away gift. He got to know Olijslager while leading a workshop organized by the Dutch consulate.

In certain circles, people from the Netherlands inevitably get asked about sea level rise.

It's because for hundreds of years the country has had to keep out seawater and prevent flooding from its numerous rivers.

Nathalie Olijslager has served as the Netherlands consul general in Miami for four years. Her duties include supporting Dutch businesses in South Florida and helping Dutch citizens with passport issues. But she says she spends about half her time on water issues.
Credit Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Miami
Nathalie Olijslager has served as the Netherlands consul general in Miami for four years. Her duties include supporting Dutch businesses in South Florida and helping Dutch citizens with passport issues. But she says she spends about half her time on water issues.

So when it comes to handling the rising seas, urban planners and resiliency wonks worldwide look to the Dutch for inspiration.

Read more: South Florida and Netherlands Officials Swap Strategies on Sea Level Rise

Their tools don’t work everywhere. In South Florida, for instance, water can come up through our porous limestone, so those iconic Dutch seawalls and dikes aren’t very effective. But, says Dutch Consul General Nathalie Olijslager, officials here and there still learn a lot from one another.

Olijslager (that's OH-lih-sla-her, for you true public radio nerds) spoke with WLRN's Kate Stein about water, her love for the 305 and why sometimes "it's better to have two problems than one."

Olijslager's been the Dutch consul general in Miami for four years. Her last day in the post is July 14.

Copyright 2020 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit WLRN 91.3 FM.

Kate Stein can't quite explain what attracts her to South Florida. It's more than just the warm weather (although this Wisconsin native and Northwestern University graduate definitely appreciates the South Florida sunshine). It has a lot to do with being able to travel from the Everglades to Little Havana to Brickell without turning off 8th Street. It's also related to Stein's fantastic coworkers, whom she first got to know during a winter 2016 internship.Officially, Stein is WLRN's environment, data and transportation journalist. Privately, she uses her job as an excuse to rove around South Florida searching for stories à la Carl Hiaasen and Edna Buchanan. Regardless, Stein speaks Spanish and is always thrilled to run, explore and read.