Room for the River Programme, Depoldering Noordwaard. Within just 5 years, the Noordwaard has been re-designed and transformed from a polder protected by dykes to an area open to high water. Eliminating the polder increased the safety situation of the downstream area, because the river water can flow in and out of the Noordwaard during periods of high water..© 23 sept 2016 Marco van Middelkoop/Aerophoto-Schiphol