Delta Programme Commissioner addresses UN delegation regarding climate adaptation
On 22 January, the Delta Programme Commissioner presented and explained the delta approach to a delegation of permanent UN representatives visiting the Netherlands. In addition to Permanent Representatives of the Small Island Development States, the delegation comprised delegates from countries in the Friends of Water, Seas and Oceans group, waterside countries, and a number of countries facing water shortages.
The visit focused on Water, Seas and Oceans. A key theme in this meeting was the increasing water issues around the world. In this context, the delegation visited Rotterdam, where they specifically discussed current water challenges and the unique approach developed by the Delta Programme. The event took place in the floating pavilion, an appropriate venue for demonstrating how people live on and with water. The Delta Programme Commissioner explained the preventive approach that the Netherlands will pursue in the decades ahead. Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, gave a presentation on the urgency of global water issues, and Arnoud Molenaar spoke about the innovative approach adopted by the city of Rotterdam. Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals recently set down by the UN, the Netherlands holds significant expertise for contributing, in collaboration with other countries and (multi-lateral) organisations, to improving flood and drought resilience. The Delta Programme encompasses important building blocks (defined in the Dutch Delta Approach) that may inspire other countries when drawing up their own climate adaptation strategies.