World learns from Dutch to keep head above water

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands - Dubai's Palm Island, New Orleans' upgraded dykes and Australia's water recycling plants all have one thing in common: They benefited from Dutch know-how gained in the country's age-old quest for dry feet.

"The Netherlands has always battled against this natural enemy - water," said Hanneke Heeres of the Union of District Water Boards (UvW), which after 900 years existence is the Netherlands' oldest government body.

"And with global warming and rising sea levels the world is more and more interested in Dutch expertise," he said.