Stormy
Looking back over the past year, one of the first memorable events of 2013 springing to mind is the 60th anniversary of the disastrous floods in Zeeland which were commemorated in February. Oddly enough, towards the end of this year we were faced with a storm and high water approaching the levels of 1953, the year in which the disaster took place.
The difference is, however, that our protection is now up to standard. We have worked hard to accomplish this in the 60 years since 1953, with the Delta Works as the most obvious result. Many locations in the Netherlands are currently still working on high water protection, for example in the rivers area and along the coast, where the last ‘Weak Link’ will be tackled in the very near future.
The last week of 2013 once again demonstrated the importance of our approach, for example along the river Meuse where the flood of 20 years ago was commemorated. The measures taken there will prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening again.
However, we are not finished yet! Because we know that a lot more must be done in order to remain safe in the long term.
The unpredictable weather we have been having over the past year has made that very clear.
A cold winter, a hot summer, high water in June (exceptional!), extreme rainfall and wind during the last three months of the year. Not uncommon during the autumn, but their violence and frequency were stronger than the ‘average’ autumn gales we are accustomed to.
We are taking all this into account in our Delta Programme. The climate scenarios the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) prepares for us help us to get ready for the future in the best possible way.
2014 will be an important year for the Delta Programme. On Prinsjesdag [the official opening of Parliament in September], the Delta Programme 2015 will be presented to the House of Representatives. It includes the Delta Decisions which provide frameworks for the future of our high water protection and a sufficient supply of freshwater, and the preferred strategies and measures to be implemented.
The Delta Programme is at full steam ahead, and the only way to accomplish this is by intensive collaboration between the national government, the provinces, the municipalities and the water authorities, with input from a great many stakeholders: knowledge institutions, the business community and civil society organisations!
I wish you all a splendid 2014!
Wim Kuijken, Delta Programme Commissioner