Seminar Delta Dialogue
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Ladies and gentlemen,
Water is important to us all. It’s a source of inspiration, of pleasure and of industry. The Danube, of course, which flows across your country, has inspired famous musical works.
But there is another side to water. It can pose a threat. In many places and in many respects we still aren’t properly prepared for that threat. Last month, at the World Water Forum in Istanbul, we were reminded again how complex the problems of climate change and rising sea levels are. We must not allow ourselves to be caught unaware.
There is a lot that Romania and the Netherlands have in common. We both are delta countries, located at the mouth of Europe’s biggest rivers. And because of our ports we are important gateways for international trade.
In this time of climate change we face similar challenges. We need to protect ourselves from flooding and find a balance between the environment and the economy. We both have to implement the Water Framework Directive. We both have a shortage of clean groundwater.
Both our countries have a history of trade. Most large Dutch companies have a branch in Romania. And we have been working together in the field of water for many years now. Many of my staff still have pleasant memories of their close partnership with Apele Romane [Roemeense rijkswaterstaat].
There are two organizations that currently shape the cooperation between our two countries.
The first is the Netherlands Water Partnership, which represents the water sector. Last year it set up the Romania Platform. Its goal is to extend cooperation and dialogue with the Romanian water sector on a wide range of issues, from flood prevention to drinking water supplies.
The second is the Dutch Association of Regional Water Authorities, which has taken over the role of my ministry in a number of projects. Both organizations are all about practical application. And that is where I feel our cooperation should focus – on everyday reality, close to the people.
At the World Water Forum I called on countries with similar problems to join hands in seeking solutions.] Our countries can learn from each another. We can help each another to meet the challenge of the rising water. And so I’d like to give you an impression how the Netherlands is preparing for climate change.
For centuries, we’ve been harnessing water in the Netherlands. Without dykes, dunes and dams two-thirds of our country would be under water. Fifty-six years have passed since the Netherlands last had a major flood disaster. During the night of the first of February 1953 the sea burst through the dykes in the southwestern part of the country. Houses were swept away and almost two thousand people lost their lives.
After this Flood, we resolved that such a disaster should never happen again. Since then we have worked hard at flood prevention. Towards the end of the twentieth century, we built giant engineering works to protect our country. The Delta works are world famous. But still, the job of protecting our country against the sea never finishes.
Worldwide climate change is causing the sea levels to rise. And it is also changing weather patterns and causes more extreme river run-off. That’s why we need to think about protecting future generations.
Last year, with this aim in mind, I set up the Delta Commission to plan for the next century. Its members, who include planners, ecologists and economists, used scientific scenarios to study the problem. They then drew up recommendations on how to protect the Netherlands from flooding and how to deal with other water-related problems, like fresh water shortage.
I took these recommendations to heart and am now drafting a Delta Act, aimed at making the Netherlands climate-proof.
We’re assuming that sea levels will rise by no more than 1.30 metres by the year 2100. But we’re working with an adaptive agenda. This means that if sea levels rise and change takes place more slowly than expected, some of our investments can be postponed. In other words, we can respond to future developments in a flexible way.
We are looking for creative, natural ways to deal flexibly with water. Let me tell you, for instance, about our plan for dynamic coastal management. To prevent erosion of our coasts we have developed an innovative new concept. We supply amounts of sand in the sea in front of our coastline. This sand reaches our beaches by natural means, by using the flows of the sea. In this way erosion of our coastline is prevented in a sustainable way. There is no need to build any artificial construction. This concept may be suitable for any sandy coastline in the world.
But there are also places where we must secure the dykes at all costs. In such cases we want to build delta dykes so high, strong or wide that they can withstand almost any flood. We can put them to dual use by building roads and railways on them. This is an example of how we seek to combine solutions and make the best of opportunities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have outlined how the Netherlands plans for the next hundred years, and what measures we are take to keep the water ‘on our side’. During the World Water Forum, I realized that this is a subject that is of interest for many countries. The complex problem of climate change and rising sea levels is one that affects us all. Countries need to work together to find good solutions. The Netherlands wants to share its expertise with other countries.
Your country and my country have much in common. The partnership between Romania, the Dutch Association of Regional Water Authorities and the Netherlands Water Partnership will help us meet the future with confidence. Together we can take practical steps that will have a positive impact on people’s lives. Together we can join hands to solve the complex problem of rising water levels for the sake of future generations.
Thank you.