During the Amsterdam International Water Week, Delta Programme Commissioner Wim Kuijken addressed the international community in a session focused on improving the protection of urban areas and adaptive measures. Major floods involving urban areas make the headlines increasingly often. Cities are vulnerable and many of them are insufficiently prepared for more extreme weather conditions. As a result, floods can cause vast economic and social damage, affecting large groups of people.
The Delta Programme Commissioner reiterated that flood protection, the availability of freshwater, and spatial adaptation are issues requiring urgent attention. Although the Dutch approach works well in the Netherlands, it does not bear exporting as a one-size-fits-all solution. The Netherlands commands a great deal of expertise and is happy to share its knowledge to help other countries develop adequate strategies, tailor-made measures to render cities robust, and to prepare for climate change. Many solutions involve a combination of measures, focused on greening cities in order to improve water storage functions (green roofs, less pavement), to allow better and faster water infiltration (planning public gardens, use of infiltration paving stones), while reducing the increasing heat in the cities. Other speakers were Mr John Batten (Director, Global Water and Global Cities, Arcadis), Henk Ovink (Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands), and a panel of experts from Poland, the US, the Netherlands and the Asian Development Bank.
At the same time, Minister Schultz received a delegation from Bangladesh, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Ms Schultz spoke about the long tradition of Dutch water management and current water policy, encompassing projects such as Room for the River and Building with Nature.
Jos van Alphen, Senior Consultant to the Delta Programme Commissioner’s staff, subsequently outlined the structure and implementation of the Dutch Delta Programme, highlighting the experiences gained that could be relevant to Bangladesh. He explained the risk-based approach, the development of adaptive strategies, the multi-governance approach, institutional aspects, and the timely preparations for the implementation.
The meeting was concluded with a presentation by Mr Islam (Bangladesh Ministry of Planning) and Mr De Heer (Team Leader) about the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 that is being developed. All speakers reiterated the importance of collaboration, supported by the Dutch know-how and experience.
During the Delta Conference (5 November), participants of the AIWW will be invited to attend one of the programme components, focused on water governance.