Rotterdam, the major Dutch port city, prepares itself for rising sea levels by blending preparation with urban revival, reports Michael Kimmelman for The New York Times. 90% of Rotterdam lies below sea level, and the effects of rising oceans is not new, but neither is preparing for it. The city’s residents do not see climate change as a political issue because, for them, it is always a potential threat.

The city has not only built dikes and dams to block the North Sea’s advance into the city, which relies on its port for almost all of its economic viability, but also designed urban developments to give the rivers and canals more space to flood. Hypothetically, only 15% of Rotterdam residents would be able to evacuate safely in the case of a major sea surge or flood. With that in mind, the city has developed preventative tactics for the inevitable.