The Dutch Water sector

Neder Delta Engineering & Consulting (M) Sdn BhdSpeaker: Ir. Hendrik J.S. BrunaKuala Lumpur October 4th. 2009

“FORUM OUR EARTH, OUR HOME”AUDITORIUM UNIVERSITI MALAYA

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF

DELTAS, ESTUARIES AND COASTAL ZONES

“LIVING WITH WATER”ENABELING DELTA LIFE

RIVER & WATER MANAGEMENTIN THE NETHERLANDS

BASED ON > 400 YEARS EXPERIENCE

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DUTCH COAST – NORTH SEA

MAKING USE OF WIND ENERGY “AIR-TRICITY”

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The Netherlands: what’s in a name?• The Netherlands is built on the delta of four European rivers

• 70% of GDP earned on land that would flood if left undefended

• Lengthy and sturdy flood defences

• Part of our culture and history

• Royal involvement

THREAT DAMAGE SOLUTION

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HRH. PRINCE WILLEM ALEXANDER CROWN PRINCE OF THE NETHERLANDS

ALSO NICKNAMED THE WATER PRINCE IS VERY ACTIVE AND SPECIAL ADVISER &CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE FOR WATER AND SANITAIRY ISSUES TOTHE SECRETARY- GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS (UNSGAB)

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TYPICAL DUTCH SOILSEA – MARINE CLAY

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Mind overmatter

• Windmills: tributeto an age-old fight

• Levees: more thanpiles of sand

• Reclaiming land foragriculture,business andprotection haspaid off

• Modern landreclamation:Second Maas Area

“AIR-TRICITY”

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Water: a love affair• Water as a source of prosperity

- The first multinational was Dutch- The Dutch East India Company

The “VOC” 1602 - 1850

-- Port of Rotterdam – Europort- now world’s third-largest

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• Water as protection (O, irony)- Controlled flooding - inundation

polders – land to stop enemies

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Water:a formidable foe

• The St. Elizabeth Flood:defenseless against nature’sforces

• Zuyderzee Flood leads to large-scale land reclamation

• The tragedy of 1953 and theensuing National Delta Planfor the whole country

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LARGE SCALE LAND RECLAMATION

NETHERLANDS

LOWLANDS - DELTA

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CREATIVE LIVING WITH WATER

TYPICAL DUTCH POLDER LANDSCAPELAND IS BELOW WATER LEVEL

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Global water challenges•• Climate change to impact our safety, health and prosperity

•• Population growth to pressure urban areas

•• Providing water and sanitary facilities

•• Social responsibility and human rights

•• Urbanisation focused on vulnerable delta areas

•• Economic growth further draining our resources

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Dutch solutions forthe entire world

• The Dutch: the world’s watertrailblazer, we have some of theworld’s leading companies indredging.

• Going Dutch: technology,solutions and organizational skills.

Dredging Industry Land Reclamation& Coastal Protection

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A holistic approach

• Limits of protection: combiningsoft measures with hard defenses

• Room for Rivers programme

• Living with Water programme(knowledge and awareness)

• Adaptive technology

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TYPICAL CROSS-SECTION RIVER BED

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MONITORED AND WELL MANAGED RIVER DREDGINGDredging of sediments is an important corrective measure for our rivers

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Dutch expertise: delta technology• Delta project: 16,500 km levees, 1,650 km2 land reclaimed

• Amazing engineering structures and solutions- Oosterschelde: 9 kilometres that will last 200 years- Maeslant: protection that doesn’t hamper shipping

• Helping to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina

• Dredging and land reclamation

• Flood Control 2015

• Building with Nature

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SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING BELOW SEA & RIVERLEVEL BEHIND THE DIKES & WATER DEFENCES

TOERISM

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Dutch expertise:water technology

• 99% of population access to cleanwater

• Expertise in water treatmenttechnologies

• Four of the world’s 10 best waterconsultancies are Dutch

• Five world-class knowledgeinstitutes

Water related Science & TechnologyIs at high level in The Netherlands.Public and Private sectors cooperateIn the development of new technologies.

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independent world leadingwater-related research

and specialized consultancy services:from multidisciplinary policy studies

to design and technical assistance

Institute Deltares

Environmental study Laguna de BayEnvironmental study Laguna de Bay -- PhilippinesPhilippines

Marina ReservoirMarina Reservoir -- SingaporeSingapore

Panama canalPanama canal

Drainage network modelling, Hong KongDrainage network modelling, Hong Kong

Tsunami simulationsTsunami simulations

Ecological modelling studyEcological modelling studylagoon of Venice, Italylagoon of Venice, Italy

Flood simulation, UKFlood simulation, UK

Design optimization, DubaiDesign optimization, Dubai

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Dutch Delta Technology – Your PartnersRoom For Rivers – An Integrated Approach

A programme aiming to strengthen the international position

of the Dutch

water sector(Companies)

EXPORT

KNOW HOW

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USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY FOR MONITORING & SURVEYING

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POLDERS – DISTRICTS – MANAGED BY POLDER BOARDS

WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS

Water Boards as organizations for watermanagement have been established in the

Middle Ages. They were essential for survival asthe low lying delta area was flooded regularly.

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DUTCH EXAMPLE WATER BOARD TAXES ARE:

Funding - tax principles:

The form and content of the Dutch Water Board taxes are;

The benefit principle;

The cost - recovery principle;

The polluter - pays principle;

The solidarity principle.

THE DUTCH CASE SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF 95 %COST RECOVERY BY LOCAL TAXES.

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Water Resources Management, Flood Mitigation andEnvironmental Assessment approach

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RIVER RHINE BASIN TROUGH SEVEN COUNTRIESBIGGEST RIVER IN EUROPE

LENGTH 1,320 kmCATCHMENT AREA 170,000 km2

NETWORK

COOPERATIONASSESMENT &MONITORING

STATIONS

LESSONS LEARNEDEXPERIENCE

WITH CONFLICTSAND COOPERATION

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POLDERS ALONG RIVERS

(WATER)MANAGEDINUNDATED AREAS

SITUATION 1800

RIVERS IN THE NETHERLANDS

PRESENT SITUATION

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START WORKS

CONTAMINATED RIVER SLIB DEPOTSIn reality the Dutch Delta is in fact the depositional zone ofthe three main rivers in Europe, the Dutch have to deal with.

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DELTA WORKS NETHERLANDS

FLOODED

IFWITHOUT

WATER DEFENCES

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INDUSTRIAL POLLUTERS

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PHYSICAL & RUBBISH POLLUTERS

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Even The Foreigners have to clean our riverEven The Foreigners have to clean our river

Where are we?Where are we?

SungaiSungai WayWay

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This is what we need to preventThis is what we need to prevent

SUNGAI WAYSUNGAI WAY

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SUNGAI KLANG SHAH ALAMOctober 2009

FLOATING

DEBRIS ISLANDS

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Singapore River in the 60Singapore River in the 60’’ss

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Present DayPresent Day SingaporeSingapore RiverRiver

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LESSONS LEARNED FROM RIVER RHINE BASIN

Experiences with conflicts and cooperation in the Rhine basin, prove theusefulness of river basin organizations.

Although the major Rhine river basin organizations focused and focus onone specific aspect of the river such as navigation, water quality, orresearch, all river organizations have proved their great importance.

The rules of cooperation for all the commissions are that they are basedon consensus between the partners and thus gain support andcommitment for their recommendations.

The commissions have a fixed funding by either the states or themember institutes, and carry out a program and measures.One of the prime obligations for the commissions is to publish joint reportson the status of the river and on the progress of implementationmeasures.

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In doing so, the natural confidence of the constituting partners will grow.

The political relevance of the work of the work of the commissionunderlines its importance, although too much political involvement inthe work can harm the open discussion among 31 experts and beinjurious to flexibility in the search for common solutions that are of valuefor the basin as a whole.

A prerequisite for an international basin organization is a national legalbasis for acting, a treaty-based performance or a diplomatic memorandumof understanding.

A clear description of the rules on how to act in case of a (potential)water related conflict or disagreement between members needs to beincluded in the treaty of the organization.

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For a river basin organization a coordination authority at all levels,supported by a (technical) secretariat, is of great importance for thecontinuity of the work. The secretariat and the members of theorganization should formulate clear and attractive common targets andorganize stakeholder involvement in planning and implementation ofmeasures.

The sharing of success by the commission and each member state &institute will stimulate mutual confidence and enhance public andpolitical support.

A sound, indisputable scientific assessment of facts supports stronglysustainable trans-boundary cooperation.In the Rhine basin, the cooperation between the research orientedInternational Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR),the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) andthe Central Commission for Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) should bestimulated vigorously.

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Finally, a sustainable River Rhine needs but this counts also for every riverbasin an approach for the whole catchment area, with integrated waterresource management as the task of one river basin organization, inorder to comply with the European Water Framework Directive and toavoid duplicating work between the existing organizations.

So to conclude, it is not necessary to invent the wheel again,we can learn from lessons in history and others, whom wherefacing even bigger problems to survive.

The Dutch had no choice and time to talk, we had to act, tosurvive and to communicate with our upstream neighboringcountries to create a sustainable living even below sea level.

“WATER IS NO PROBLEM BUT A DESIGN EXERCISE”FROM BUILDING AGAINST NATURE TO “BUILDING WITH NATURE”

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Stakeholders involvement a must!

Neder Delta Engineering &Consulting (M) Sdn Bhd.In close cooperation withInstitute Deltares from theNetherlands and the support ofthe Royal Netherlands Embassyin Malaysia.

THANK YOU – TERIMA KASIH

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