Delta Life 12

2 6 24 And also: 3. Deltares in brief 16. Infographic: small island states 18. Seven things you need to know about the circular economy 20. How the Netherlands is preparing for virus outbreaks 22. Testing ground: the cleaning potential of soil bacteria 23. Knowledge at work: how Dow is reducing its water footprint 27. The quays of Amsterdam 28. Deltares academy 29. Deltares software 31. Deltares organisation 6 INCLUSIVE GREEN GROWTH Excess water, water shortages, dirty water: they can all contribute to political instability in vulnerable countries. That is why water is one of the cornerstones of global sustainable development, says Carola van Rijnsoever, director of inclusive green growth at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 9 ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE Climate change, extreme weather changes and population growth impact infrastructure, transport and waterways. How can we ensure that the transport infrastructure is climate- resilient and water-robust? 24 DIGITAL PORT SmartPort, the knowledge platform for companies, researchers and government, wants Rotterdam to have the smartest and best port in the world by 2030. Director Elisabeth van Opstall tells us what has been achieved after four years and sets out the plans for the future. Editing desk: P.O. Box 177, 2600 MH Delft, The Netherlands 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 Twitter http://twitter.com/deltares LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/ company/deltares/ Facebook www.facebook.com/ DeltaresNL FRONT COVER Railways, roads and waterways: they are such natural parts of our lives that we hardly think about how disruptive climate change and natural disasters can be for our infrastructure. Sometimes in a single wave of destruction such as a flood or tornado. But the process can also be slow and insidious as a result of sea level rise or a period of drought. In the summer of 2018, for example, European inland waterway transport came to a virtual standstill due to the low water level. Switzerland even had to draw on its strategic stocks to fill supermarket shelves. These examples, and many others, underline the importance of resilient infrastructure that can – literally – take a hit. What steps are needed to create that infrastructure? Read more from page 9 onwards. Text and editing: Deltares and Maters & Hermsen Translation: Pete Thomas Layout: Deltares and Maters & Hermsen Infographic: Studio Dirma Janse Printed by: Vellendrukkerij BDU BV ISSN: 2351-972X 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 9