Delta Programme Commissioner underscores importance of flood risk management and water awareness in Dordrecht
With the opening of a special exhibition and the annual placement of the floodgates, flood risk management dominated the city of Dordrecht on Wednesday 16 September. To emphasise the importance of this theme, one of the floodgates was set in place by Delta Programme Commissioner Wim Kuijken, district water board chair Jan Geluk, and alderman Piet Sleeking.
Pop up expo
What would be the impact of extremely high water levels in the rivers around Dordrecht? What actions do local residents need to take in the event of a flood? These types of questions are answered in the temporary exhibition “What if water levels rise in Dordrecht?” in the Berckepoort in Dordrecht. ‘It’s very good to have this expo, to get the discussion going on what we can do to protect ourselves against the water. We are safe in the Netherlands, yet vulnerable. We are working hard on keeping our country safe, but we really need to be aware of the fact that things might go wrong some day,’ Mr Kuijken commented.
Local residents
A storyline that runs from two weeks before the disaster to one year afterwards shows what local residents need to be prepared for. Panels and relevant objects demonstrate what happens during that period. The aim of the expo is to enter into a dialogue with local residents about what happens during a flood disaster, in order to look jointly for ways to improve the preparations. The Delta Programme Commissioner continues, ‘With this expo, Dordrecht sets an example for other cities. I hope many of them will follow suit.’
Ons Water website
For more details regarding the exhibition, go to www.onswater.nl. This website shows how high the water will rise across the Netherlands in the event of a flood. It offers much more information, including where our country is working on flood risk management.
