Delta Commissioner speaks at Big Improvement Day 2013
Delta Commissioner Wim Kuijken was one of the many speakers at the Big Improvement Day held at the RAI Amsterdam convention centre today.
The focus of the day was on people in the business community and government. The Delta Commissioner spoke, among other things, about the importance of investing in our delta: ‘We will be taking economically responsible decisions and measures. Higher benefits than costs. And, knowing that cleaning up after a disaster is seven times more expensive than investing in disaster prevention, you can understand that every single euro we invest now pays enormous dividends in terms of prevented losses. And I haven’t even mentioned the disruption and human suffering that can be prevented.’
Programme director Hetty Klavers (IJsselmeer Region) also took to the stage. She had three minutes in which to explain why she is proud of what she and her staff have achieved in the area surrounding Lake IJssel: ‘We tackled the issue of the 1.5 metre rise in water level based on the principles of the new government: not about you and without you, but with you, based on equality and with respect for one another’s responsibilities. And always with a view to our common goal: a safe and liveable IJsselmeer Region with sufficient fresh water, now and in the future. It was hard work at the beginning, because we were faced with a lot of scepticism and suspicion: we need to see it before we believe it. But, by analysing the problem systematically, investigating all the options, gathering all the arguments and knowledge and, especially, by listening properly to everyone, we now have a shared approach. This is something special when so many partners are involved: the state, six provinces, eight water authorities, dozens of municipalities and hundreds of lobbying organisations. After over three years, it is no longer “what are we going to do about Lake IJssel as a technical issue” but “what are WE going to do about OUR Lake IJssel?’