Speech for Melanie Schultz, on the occasion of the visit to the Maeslantkering storm surge barrier with Indonesian Vice President Boediono

Toespraak | 24-03-2014

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Selamat datang! Welcome to the Maeslantkering. It is a great pleasure to receive you here.
This is a unique location.
Not only is this one of the most innovative storm surge barriers in the world.
With its completion we also finished our Delta Works. The symbol of our centuries-long battle against water. A battle that we know will never end.
Your country is fighting the same fight. So this is the perfect place to talk about opportunities for working together on water management.
Relations between our countries are built on a long history of evolving ties. A history in which water has always played an important role.
We even use the same words: irigasi, peil and polder.

The challenges facing your country are enormous.

• A tremendous effort is required just to protect Jakarta's large population against floods.
• Ensuring there is enough clean water.
• Dealing with subsidence. On your north coast, the land is subsiding by about 15 centimetres per year!

I'm familiar with those kinds of challenges.

• A quarter of my country lies below sea level. The lowest point at Nieuwerkerk aan de IJssel - not far from here - is almost 7 metres below sea level.
• If we had not built dikes, dunes and dams, two-thirds of my country would be flooded regularly. I'm talking about an area with a population of more than 9 million, and where 70% of our Gross National Product is earned.

We have found 2 ways to tackle these challenges with lasting success.
First, we've given our policy a strong financial foundation, called the Delta Fund.
By law, the government is required to deposit about 1 billion euros in the Fund every year.
The second pillar is a new long-term national strategy.
A strategy to protect future generations against flooding and safeguard freshwater supplies.
The last programme dated from 1960, after the great flooding.
This year is special because we will be making new decisions on this strategy.

Your Excellency,
Your country is dynamic and ambitious.
You want to accelerate economic growth with a masterplan for acceleration and expansion (MP3-EI in short). A program you know all about.
Indonesia is also ambitious in water policy.
During my visit to Indonesia next week a new masterplan will be presented. The National Capital Integrated Coastal Development plan, or NCICD for short - to protect Jakarta against floods.
It was developed jointly by Indonesian experts and Dutch experts.
The public sector, the private sector and knowledge institutions worked together on this plan.
Indonesia asked us to work with you in 2008.
I understand your President is now considering the plan to set up an implementing organisation.

I am of course happy to offer the Netherlands' expertise and experience for the further, joint development of the master plan.
That's why I visit your country next week, along with 18 companies and knowledge-institutes that are eager to share their know-how with you.
I am looking forward to this visit.
Because I am convinced that water offers us new opportunities for bolstering the friendship between our countries.
Thank you.