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national issue in African and Asian countries.' Cities are becoming more important, certainly, but they are not always acquiring the power they need to protect themselves against disasters. As an example, Berkowitz refers to the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of November. It brought together not only the world's twenty most powerful countries but also the world's twenty largest cities. They had a clear demand: 'More tools and resources to determine their own destiny. So there is still a long way to go.' Deltares advises Hans Gehrels (Deltares) knows Michael Berkowitz well. Deltares has been a platform partner in the 100RC initiative since 2015 (see inset). More than a thousand cities registered with the project in 2013. A selection was made of one hundred of them. 'Two thirds of the cities that registered were concerned about water management', says Gehrels. Deltares is an active partner and it ad­ vised in Mexico City, Surat, Bangkok, Christchurch, Toronto, Washington, Montevideo, Milan, Glasgow and New Orleans. The cities sent in their problem analy- ses and then 100RC passed on their questions to one of the many platform partners, including Deltares. 'The network links cities' ques- tions to the answers provided by the market or science.' There is also a person who links the questions and answers for the participating cities: the chief resil­ ience officer (CRO). The city is central in the process; Deltares experts get round the table with them to provide advice. The network also includes two Dutch cities: Rotterdam and The Hague. In the port city, Deltares analysed scenarios for a possible sea level rise of two to six metres in a hackathon. In The Hague, Deltares is involved in work on the green, blue and critical infra­ structure in the city: power stations, hospitals and communications infra- structure. What happens if they fail during floods? 'There are no standard answers,' says Gehrels. Tailor-made solutions Berkowitz stresses the importance of the involvement of Deltares, precisely when it comes to implementing plans. 'It's plain and simple: water management is not a choice. Cities will have to include it in their strategies and transform, or suffer the consequences.' Deltares delivers tailor-made solutions and it is a not- for-profit organisation. DOSSIER !!URBAN RESILIENCE 12 That works to its advantage, believes Berkowitz. 'Levels of trust in the private sector are low in many developing countries.' By contrast with the Netherlands, where Shell works closely with the Port of Rotterdam and the City of Rotterdam. 'And I couldn't see the difference between them,' says Berkowitz. According to Berkowitz, cities see Deltares as a research institute, not as a company that is looking to make money: 'Of course it's not free, but the not-for-profit branding is incredibly powerful in our network: the unbiased position of Deltares means that cities value and trust the organisation.' More information: hans.gehrels@deltares.nl The two movable 'arms' of the Maeslant barrier protect the port of Rotterdam from flooding. Hans Gehrels (Urban Resilience Market Team Manager, Deltares) Michael Berkowitz (President of 100 Resilient Cities) Tomake sure that cities don't have to con- stantly reinvent the wheel, 100 Resilient Cities is a network that shares applied know- ledge with its members. Re- commendations for a solution inWashington DC can also help Toronto or Rotterdam. The aim is to scale up solutions to a higher level or tomore cities. Deltares is a member of this platformand a preferred sup- plier for water and infrastruc- ture issues. 100 RESILIENT CITIES AND DELTARES WWW.100RESILIENTCITIES.ORG