Rijkswaterstaat/Jurriaan Brobbel The Dutch government has built a "sand motor" — hundreds of millions of cubic feet of dredged sand that will protect the Netherlands' southern coast from sea level rise and erosion. Over the next 20 years, waves will push the sand into protective barriers along the coast. A significant portion of the Netherlands sits below sea level, a reality that has prompted the country to seriously address the looming consequences of climate change.