Delta Life 10

DELTARES, September 2018 A WORD FROM THE MINISTER Deltares, congratulations! PHOTO: RIJKSOVERHEID 'The topics covered by Deltares are more urgent than ever.' Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management T he Netherlands is known as the country where water management was invented and where it has been put into practice for many years and on a large scale. People from abroad are still pleasantly sur- prised about how we manage water, and how the system is organised in the Netherlands. Our knowledge position in the field of water and sub- surface is unique. Ten years ago, we were able to develop this position fur- ther by establishing Deltares through the merger of various organisations that had been working in the field for a long time. The expertise of the organ- isations goes back about a hundred years. Their forces were combined and our leading position was extended abroad in collaboration with the Dutch business community. It turned out to be an excellent move. There is no doubt now that we really need this knowledge, and therefore Deltares, to tackle a number of complex issues in the near future. The topics covered by Deltares are more urgent than ever. Safe living in a delta is sometimes less natural than people may think, particularly given future climate issues. We learn more every day. And when it comes to water, we can never know everything there is to know. We will have to work on new solutions in response to threats like drought and salinisation, but also tackle flood risk management, climate adaptation and land subsidence. Because these are areas where we still need answers. The Deltares know-how puts down the foundations on which we can build these solutions. It is essential to main- tain our leading position in the world. And indeed, to strengthen it further. Deltares is an important knowledge partner for government: ministries, Rijkswaterstaat, water authorities, provinces and municipalities often call upon it for advice. The business community also uses the available knowledge and expertise on contracts abroad. In a short time, Deltares has become a prestigious institute that symbolises the leading position of our country in the field of flood risk man- agement. As a result, it can also bring the relevant expertise from abroad to the Netherlands so that we don't waste time and resources reinventing the wheel. I would like to congratulate Deltares wholeheartedly on its tenth anniver- sary. In the years to come, we will continue to need the knowledge and expertise of Deltares for our delta. It is a reassuring thought that we have bundled this knowledge in a strong and stylish institute. The result is a solid and sound knowledge basis and confidence in the future.