Toespraak van minister Schultz van Haegen bij de opening van het seminar on Integrated Water Resource Management

Toespraak | 04-09-2015

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to this seminar, organised jointly by Colombia and the Netherlands. This is an excellent example of a close partnership of equals!

This seminar is not our first joint project. The ties between our countries go back more than 50 years. In recent years, we've been working together actively in the area of water management. Not just on desk research, but also on engineering projects. Like the rehabilitation of Canal del Dique, and Room for the River Cauca.

We are keenly aware of the benefits of our partnership, and of the many opportunities for cooperation in other fields.

So it's great to be here this week, and to get to know your country better! I'm accompanied by a large delegation of Dutch companies and institutes. They are eager to share their expertise so that Colombia can tackle the enormous challenges it faces.

About the seminar

Many of these challenges will be discussed today. The programme covers a wide range of topics: from the 'Port of the Future' to 'Room for the River', and from resilient cities to coastal protection.

All very different topics, but they all address the same fundamental questions. Questions that both Colombia and the Netherlands need to answer:

• How can we better protect people in low-lying areas against flooding?
• What changes can we make to improve our countries' resilience as well as our economies and liveability?

Today, I would like to raise 2 important points. 

My first point concerns the importance and urgency of knowledge-sharing. The challenges being discussed today are not unique to the Netherlands and Colombia. They are shared by all countries with delta regions.

Around the world, more and more people are moving into low-lying areas. These are the most densely populated regions in the world. Why? Because they have the strongest economies. At the same time, they are also the most vulnerable regions.

The destructive impact of flooding on people and economies is growing. The added effects of climate change make finding solutions even more urgent.

Prevention and risk reduction need to be prominent issues on the international agenda. Countries should be helping each other.

So I'm pleased that in March this year Colombia and the Netherlands, jointly with Japan, established a global Delta Coalition. This network allows delta countries to share knowledge about and solutions to water-related issues. [We talk about this coalition this week.]

My second point concerns a key lesson that the Netherlands has learned over the years. It's about building with rather than against the forces of nature. It's vital that we look at the challenges in a new light.

In fact, the existence of the Netherlands depends on it.

• Two-thirds of our country is vulnerable to flooding.
• More than half of our population lives in that region.
• And 70% of our GNP is generated there.

We've had to make crucial choices in water management. Last year we launched the second Delta Plan. 60 years after the first Delta Plan, we decided we needed to make some changes.

The biggest difference between the two plans is prevention. The first plan was made in response to a major flood disaster. The second was made to prevent such a disaster.

Until about 15 years ago, we focused on holding back the water. We built dikes and dug channels to contain it, control it and drain it.

Climate change has taught us that we need a new strategy. We need to embrace water, as well as fight it.

You'll appreciate that this insight met with scepticism 15 years ago. After all, we had been fighting the water for 800 years! Nowadays, building in harmony with nature has become more accepted.

And we're seeing good results: better protection, a more attractive landscape and new areas for recreation!

Many countries are interested in the concept, including the United States, Indonesia, Bangladesh… And I’m pleased that Colombia, too, is showing a keen interest.

So, what kinds of projects of building with nature am I talking about?

One example is the sand motor - or sand engine - which we use to reinforce our coast. It's a huge volume of sand that has been applied along the coast in 2011.
Wind, waves and currents will spread the sand naturally along the coast. The coast will be broader and safer. After the first years we know that this concept works!

In Colombia, the joint master plan on coastal protection explores the scope for applying this same concept here.

Another example of building with nature is our Room for the River programme.

By giving water more room to flow in 30 strategic locations around the country, we have given 5 million people better protection against flooding.

Like here close to the city of Nijmegen where the river not only makes a sharp bend; it's also a bottleneck. This causes high water and floods. So, we moved the dike and constructed a channel in the flood plains. This will create an new island and a unique urban river park with lots of possibilities for recreation, culture, water and nature.

I'm proud that this concept of Room for the River has been incorporated in Room for the River Cauca! Together, we're working on a strategy to decrease the frequency of flooding and restore the river ecosystem.

Another good example is the joint project for the rehabilitation of Canal del Dique.
Engineers from Royal Haskoning DHV and Gómez Gijao are working together on integrated plans for this important hinterland connection. It's a fine example of Dutch-Colombian cooperation.
And I look forward to flying over Canal del Dique this afternoon!

I want to mention one last project that will also be discussed at this seminar: the Port of the Future.

The main question here is: how can we develop ports without compromising liveability?

Ports are very important for the Colombian economy.
Just as good ports with good hinterland connections are absolutely vital for the Dutch economy: 90% of our import and export volume is transported by sea!

That's why we've invested heavily in the expansion of the Port of Rotterdam.

Maasvlakte ll enlarged the port area by 20%.
Two years ago, I gave your former transport minister – Cecilia Álvarez – a tour of Maasvlakte II shortly before the official opening.

Sustainability was a guiding principle in developing the new port area.

So Maasvlakte II includes 750 hectares of new nature.
And I've made clear agreements with companies on increasing water and rail transport, and reducing road transport. Not only to avoid congestion, but also to limit carbon emissions.

These examples show that the lessons we've learned, the knowledge we've gained and the experiences we've had are all relevant for Colombia. The joint projects that we're involved in are showing encouraging results.

I have great respect for Colombia's openness to Dutch expertise and know-how.

And I'm happy that our delegation can offer such a broad range of expertise.

We need to share knowledge in order to arrive at practical solutions. Solutions that will improve flood protection and liveability, and make the most of new economic opportunities.  
So I urge you to continue exchanging knowledge after this seminar is over.

I hope you will make new contacts and come up with new ideas. I wish you all a stimulating and insightful day.

Thank you.