Delta Life 9

DELTARES, APRIL 2018 DELTARES IN BRIEF THE SUBSURFACE IN THE ENVIRONMENT ACT The Environment Act requires every Dutch municipality to draw up an environmental vision by 2021 in which the municipality states its broad spatial ambitions. In addition, the Environment, Energy and Mobility Committee of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) advises municipalities to describe the role that the subsurface could play in meeting social challenges. Deltares and the VNG provide assistance here. In 2017, Deltares and the VNG worked with 49 municipalities to look at how the subsurface can help to address on- going challenges such as the energy transition, potential conflicts about the use of the subsurface or sustainable area planning. Many processes and interventions in the subsurface are irre- versible, making it important to know what is possible in the subsurface before decisions are made. ONE DIKE, THREE ASSESSMENTS The Dutch approach can be used to assess dikes in other countries. That was demonstrated in a trial organised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat, the Hollands Noorderkwartier water authority and Deltares. A research team from these organisations, together with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the British Environmental Agency (EA), visited an American dike to assess it using the British, American and Dutch approaches. The results turned out to be more or less the same and the dike complied with the requirements. The fresh insights provided by English and American experts in flood risk management produced new ideas that are being used for the further development of the Dutch approach. M aximum performance: that is the aim of skipper Simeon Tienpont and the AkzoNobel team contesting the 2017- 2018 Volvo Ocean Race in the VO65. They are receiving assistance from a consortium of companies, govern- ments and research institutes such as Deltares and MARIN. Deltares has know­ ledge about global flowmodels and MARIN about the propulsion of boats through waves. The VO65 uses this data and information, and it is also collecting new data during the voyage. These data allow both MARIN and Deltares to develop new products and services for better ships and the sustainable use of our oceans. It's an excellent example of how Dutch research and elite sports can combine forces. PHOTO: GUUS SCHOONEWILLE RESEARCHMEETS ELITE SPORT