Statement by Delta Programme Commissioner Wim Kuijken at the commemorative ceremony at the National 1953 Flood Disaster Monument in Ouwerkerk
For centuries, the Netherlands has both struggled and lived with water. Time and again we have managed to survive. On Sunday 1 February 1953, the water seemed out of control. It is a day we must never forget, a day to look back on and learn from. Many families still grieve for those who lost their lives on that day.
It is something we must never allow to happen again. I am starting my new mission here, at this spot, on this very day. At this crossroads of Dutch history we connect our past and present to the future, working in concert on a safe and sustainable future for our country.