Strategic flooding is a highly risky tactic. It can only be successful if there's a well-thought-out backup plan and a plan for fast repairs. Flood can result in loss of life and damage homes and businesses, and when the water remains inland for a long time, it can change the landscape through erosion and deposition, forming new tidal channels and creeks.

    During the Eighty Years War, as the· Spanish army fought to recapture territory in what is now northern Belgium and southwestern Netherland in the late sixteenth century, the Dutch rebels led by William of Orange decided to use the low-lying, flood-prone landscape to their advantage. In an attempt to liberate Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp from Spanish dominance and defend their territory, the rebels destroyed seawalls at strategic places from 1584 to 1586 to cause deliberate, large-scale floods.

    The area flooded during the Eighty Years War became part of strategic line of defense and remained inundated for more than 100 years in some places, with profound consequences for the landscape. The plan got completely out of hand, and it came at the expense of the countryside of northtern Landers, now Zeeland Flanders.

    After water receded, a thick layer of clay covered all remnants of buildings and roads in the area. As sea water was used, soil salinity increased, affecting agricaltural yields, being as damaging as floods caused by heavy rainfall or storm surges.

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(SOAL SIMAK UI 2017)