Delta Life 11

2 7 24 20 And also: 3. Deltares in brief 16. Infographic 18. The world is hungry for sand 22. Testing ground: The drain is blocked 23. Knowledge at work: Iconic Afsluitdijk barrier damgets a makeover 27. Flood risk management and cyber security 28. Deltares organisation 30. Deltares academy 31. Deltares software 7 CONTROLLED CAPITULATION Stop fighting sea level rise, bend with it like bamboo. Argues architect Reinier de Graaf of the world-renowned OMA firm. A provocative discussion about flexible building but also about daring to demolish and retreat. 20 HOLY GRAIL FOR HEATING? In theory, all the homes in the Netherlands could be heated by extracting a single degree of heat from the Rhine. Is thermal energy from surface water an alternative to natural gas and other energy sources? Deltares is doing the research. 24 MICROPLASTICS Together, we produce 250 billion kilos of plastic worldwide every year. After it has been used, an enormous proportion is not collected properly, with all the inevitable consequences. How can Deltares help in the struggle with this many- headed monster? CREDITS Delta Life is published by Deltares, the Dutch innovation and research institute in the fields of water, subsurface and infrastructure. With independent research, Deltares is building the knowledge base that is urgently needed worldwide to keep deltas, coastal areas and river basins habitable. Knowledge development focuses on five themes: Flood Risk, Ecosystems and Environmental Quality, Water and Subsoil Resources, Delta Infra­ structure and Sustainable Delta Planning. More information: www.deltares.nl Editing desk: P.O. Box 177, 2600 MH Delft, tel. +31 (0)88 335 8273, afdeling-com@deltares.nl Subscriptions are free of charge and they can be requested or suspended by sending an e-mail to deltares@deltares.nl Text and editing: Deltares en Maters & Hermsen Translation: Pete Thomas Layout: Deltares and Maters & Hermsen Printed by: Koninklijke BDU Grafisch Bedrijf bv ISSN: 2351-972X Twitter http://twitter.com/deltares LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com / company/deltares/ Facebook www.facebook.com/ DeltaresNL FRONT COVER More than half of the global population live in cities: cities are appealing. But they are also vulnerable: earthquakes, floods, terror and epidemics are ever-present threats. Disasters can be a fact of life but preparing for them is something we can control. Because you can organise resilience with things like good water management. 100 Resilient Cities helps: this initiative creates resilient cities that can take a punch. 'It's plain and simple: water management is not a choice,' says Michael Berkowitz, the 100RC president. 'Cities need to include it in their strategies and transform, or suffer the consequences.' More starting on page 9.