Symposium on Delta Programme to kick of Dredging Festival
This past weekend, the city of Sliedrecht organised the first Dredging Festival in seven years. The commencement was marked by a symposium on hydraulic engineering and the Delta Programme.
The festival is characterised by dynamic and festive activities, focused primarily on introducing the dredging industry and the hydraulics sector, thus encouraging a sufficient influx of students in order to secure sufficient human capital.
The symposium was opened by the chairman of the organising committee, Jan Huijbers. The participants comprised a substantial number of delegates from the business community, government authorities and knowledge institutes.
The Director of the Delta Programme Commissioner’s staff, Bart Parmet, explained the approach and the status of the Delta Programme, highlighting the important role of the business community in its implementation. Various topics were discussed, such as what is needed to get “spatial adaptation” (e.g., climate-proof construction) off the ground, which is also highly topical in view of the heat issues. Another subject of discussion was how to capitalise on the creativity of the business community. The Mayor of Sliedrecht zoomed in on issues and taskings in the Drechtsteden area and specifically on the studies underway in Alblasserwaard-Vijfherenlanden and around Dordrecht. The Mayor requested specific attention on water awareness among the residents. Frans van de Berg of the Rivierenland district water board explained the problems associated with dyke improvements in urban areas such as Sliedrecht, and challenged the participants to come up with creative solutions.
'All these efforts have provided the Rhine Estuary- Drechtsteden area with a firm basis for the implementation of the Delta Programme,’ Bart Parmet commented.