Roles and Responsibilities of Rijkwaterstaat Eric Boessenkool
Topics Welcome to the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment historical development, current works and projects Deltaprogramme European Legal Framework for watermanagement
Netherlands compared to US States Netherlands Compared to US Surface area 13,000 sq Mi Maryland Coastline 300 Mi North Carolina Inhabitants 16 million Florida GNP 700 billion $ Florida
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment New ministry since end of 2010 Merger of Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water management and Ministry of Environment and Spatial planning Broad Policy tasks: Infrastructure, Mobility, Shipping, Water management, Environment, Climate Change, Waste & Pollution, Spatial Planning US is a strategic international partner for IenM and is the implementing organisation of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Water governance 1. Municipalities (418) - Sewerage & drinking water 2. Waterboards (25): Levee maintenance, safety assessment, planning & construction 3. Regional safety units (25) - Crisis management 4. Provinces (12): spatial planning 5. National - Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment - policies & budget national guidance on spatial planning construction and maintenance of main barriers, locks and sluices 6. Europe and International River Commissions - general legal framework and cross-border cooperation
A history of water management: North Holland circa 1580 circa 1700 today
1800s: Beginning of national water management 1798 establishment of 1814 Water management in Constitution 1849-1852 Haarlemmermeerpolder (Draining with huge steam engines)
1900s: Scientific advances, disasters and big projects Major floods: 1916 North Holland Afsluitdijk 1953 Zeeland Deltaworks Upscaling of projects, new sluice and weir types, new materials, network of laboratories and scientific services within RWS, hydraulic modelling
Today we build, manage and maintain much of the Dutch national infrastructure. Highways, Waterways and Main Water system (including the North Sea).
Today we have outsourced our scientific services: Deltares Knowlegde and research more openly available for public and private parties Strategic research: project proposals to be submitted via the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation and Agriculture Research for main tasks and for policy development (Applied research, Models and software, Emergency recommendations (calamities)) Deltares is an important partner in the cooperation with China
Northsea Building with Nature: Sandmotor Smart Levees Port-nature development: Land reclamation -Flood control 2015 - Dike Sensor Technology (IJkdijk) Room for the River Deltaworks/I-Storm Institutional - Water Governance Centre - UNESCO-IHE (education) -United Nations PPP centre -Netherlands Water Partnership Delta Programme Long term vision 2100: -Climate change adaptation -Safety against flooding -Freshwater strategy -Regional and International strategy
Deltaworks: Eastern Scheldt barrier First barrier built with environmental concerns (ecological degradation, oyster fishery) Half open storm surge barrier to preserve salt water regime and ecological richness NEVERTHELESS Ecological consequences: less inter tidal ecosystem area less gradients on the shoals reduced feeding time birds less wave reduction in front of dikes Innovative solutions required Monitoring Sand nourishment Experimenting with hydro-power International network of barriers
Room for the River: 39 projects 2.3 bln
Sand motor: 21.5 cubic meters of sand 14 Delta Programme Commissioner 6 October 2011
Expectations are rising Politics wants smaller and more efficient bureaucracy The Government expects more production with less people The public expects better service and clear information The Private Sector expects more uniformity in tenders and projects (International) Partners expect more intensive cooperation Europe expects implementation of directives and wants more detailed information 15
Some facts Main Water System manages: 65,250 km² of surface water 44 kilometres of dunes 325 kilometres of dykes and dams 2,706 kilometres of banks 16 weirs Afsluitdijk and Houtribdijk dykes 4 storm surge barriers
Some Facts: Main Waterway Network manages: 1,686 kilometres of canals and rivers, 1,462 kilometres of which main traffic axes 6,165 kilometres of waterway on open water 83 locks 422 bridges
Cooperation with USA Intensive exchange on political level, policy and business US Army Corps of Engineers and Dutch Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in May 2004 in the Hague. Collaboration in research, development, testing, and evaluation potentially leading to new or improved civil works capabilities between the two countries.
19 Lessons from Katrina and 1953 Similarities: Design flaws in dikes Inadequate maintenance Disastrous storm surge Huge death toll Enormous economic damage Katrina raised political awareness in the Netherlands of the consequences of a flooding in an urban area
Aftermath Emergency activities Three pumps and an emergency team from RWS were sent; Policy and politics Mr Jan Hoogland (retired RWS official) testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sen. Landrieu and Gov. Blanco visited the Netherlands Prince of Orange visited Washington, Vice-Ministers visited New Orleans Technical exchanges (MOA) Technical workshops between USACE and RWS RWS support to New Orleans District in their hurricane protection study (LACPR) The Netherlands was asked to give a Dutch perspective on the protection and restoration of New Orleans
Current Activities: Comparing levee safety International peer review Delta model Comparison history of water management International Stormsurge barrier network Staff exchange Focus on New Orleans, Washington, Florida, California