the delta approach [author: netherlands water partnership (nwp)]

8/11/2019 The Delta Approach [author: Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP)]

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THEDELTA APPROACH

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THEDELTA APPROACH Preconditions for sustainable delta management:int o uc n 12 u n oc n p 10 t

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PREPAREDNESS IS KEY FOR ASAFE AND PROSPEROUS DELTA

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CONTENT

The Delta Programme can be seen n xt t p n t vo ut on of

dutc w t n nt

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6 The Delta Approach

12 The Netherlands

13 Bangladesh

14 Indonesia

15 Egypt

16 USA

17 Myanmar

18 Mozambique

19 Poland

20 Vietnam

21 Colombia

22 Contacts and partners


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THEDELTAAPPROACH

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DELTARES: ENABLING DELTA LIFEDeltares is an independent, institute for applied research in the eld of water,subsurface and infrastructure. Throughout the world, they work on smartsolutions, innovations and applications for people, environment and society.Main focus is on deltas, coastal regions and river basins. Deltares employsover 800 people and is based in Delft and Utrecht in the Netherlands.www.deltares.nl/en 6

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http://www.deltares.nl/enhttp://www.deltares.nl/en


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WHAT IS A DELTA? WHAT ARE MAIN DELTACHALLENGES?In geological terms deltas are dynamic landforms thatwere created by the force of rivers, waves and tides.They are formed over thousands of years when globalsea levels stabilised some six to eight thousand yearsago and mostly located where a river drains into thesea. They consist of complicated networks of rivers,streams and small waterways, wetlands, estuariesand coastal barrier islands. Deltas host high-valueecosystems, which provide a high biodiversity.In anthropogenic terms worldwide deltas providea home to a growing number of people (currentlyover half a billion) attracted by the presence ofhighly productive arable land, marine and freshwaterresources and often energy resources. Mega cities,ports, industries and agricultural hotspots continue togrow in deltas. It may be clear that this often leads tocompeting claims and pressures.Large concentrations of people and the presence of

high economic activities call for adequate p rotectionagainst ooding. At the same time the dynamicsof water and sediments should not be constrainedtoo much since ecosystems need these dynamicsto preserve their diversity. And coastal zones andestuaries need sediments to be better protectedagainst erosion. The drainage of soft peat and clay butalso fossil fuel and groundwater exploitation can leadto subsidence. In this way increasing the vulnerabilityof the delta, its assets and people to ooding.Due to climate change and sea level rise, the numberand intensity of ood hazards will increase and

salt intrusion and droughts will pose an increasingthreat to deltas around the world. The challenge isto maintain the Deltas integrity also under thesecontinuing climatic and anthropogenic pressures.It is clear that this is not a matter of watermanagement alone, but also requires joint effort ofpublic and private sectors involved in the economicdevelopment of the delta. Since alterations due todifferent natural and anthropogenic pressures indeltas do happen at different paces, and within time

horizons larger than policy cycles, sophisticatedplanning of deltas with care for long-termsustainability is required.

DISCOVER THE DUTCH DELTA APPROACHWater management was the key driver for thedevelopment of the Dutch Delta. Marshlands weredrained and small-scale dike systems were erectedin ood plains. Later also existing shallow lakeswere turned into polders using novel drainagetechniques, such as windmills and steam engines.To offer safe investment and settlement conditions,embankments along rivers have been enforced andcoastal protection with dams and barriers has beenimproved over time, often triggered by major oodhazards. Spatial developments and water managementare closely entangled in the Dutch Delta: the safedelta and its excellent (water) infrastructure furtherstimulated economic developments and vice versa,the increased number of people living and economic

activity in the delta was calling for increasing ood

protection and fresh water supply. In part thesedevelopments were planned actions, especiallythose in water management, requiring and bringingforward a high degree of organisation. Althoughalso spatial planning in the Netherlands is relativelyorganised, developments over the centuries aremore autonomous. Due to the high protection levels(provided in recent decades) water management hasbecome of lesser inuence on spatial planning.Delta management is not new! It has been corebusiness in the Netherlands for centuries. Given thishistorical perspective the Dutch Delta Approach canbe described as the water management of the Delta,aimed at sustaining and promoting its spatial andeconomic development.The Dutch Delta Approach has been continuouslyunder development itself. It went from ghting andcontrolling the hydrological variability on a small toa large scale. Strategies to protect the delta againsthazards were at the beginning mostly based on single

purpose (safe settlements, dry feet, enough water)

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engineering solutions. The resulting large-scaleinfrastructural works (like the Haarlemmermeerpolder, Zuiderzee works and Delta works) boostedinnovations and drew attention from all over theworld. During the execution of the Delta works, moreintegrated measures for ood protection gainedground, also taking into account water quality andwater quantity while paying more attention to theenvironment. The novel storm surge barriers inthe Oosterschelde and Nieuwe Waterweg are mainexamples of this.With the Room for the River Programme a real shift inthinking was made. Instead of ghting the water andbuilding higher defences, the Dutch chose to give therivers more space to exercise their natural behaviourand improve the quality of the landscape at thesame time. Right from the start this programme wasmultipurpose. The idea of improving spatial qualityappealed to the regional stakeholders and planners,inspiring them to come up with better alternatives,

serving the regional economy better. The Room for

the River approach can be seen as one of the earlierexamples of green adaptation approaches. The idea ofmaking better use of the services provided by nature,instead of constraining them, was also taken further inthe coastal protection programme in the Netherlandswith the Sand Engine as a principle example.

THE NEXT STEPThe current Delta programme aims at a country-widesustainable ood risk protection and fresh watersupply under future scenarios up until 2100. It canbe seen as a next step in the evolution of Dutchwater management. Not wanting to wait for (near)disasters, this time, a proactive approach is followed.Taking into account long-term uncertain climatic andsocietal changes also is a new element compared toprevious programmes. To be exible in coping withthis uncertainty, solutions are not presented as singlestep measures cast in concrete but rather as possiblepathways, in which short-term measures may be

followed by multiple options. Seeking this exibility

is part of the approach developed within the Deltaprogramme called Adaptive Delta Management.Also in the organisation of the water management,its institutions and how they interact with society,major developments were made. The more largescale and complex the challenges for watermanagement became the higher were the demandsfor organisational capacity to execute them. Thehigher the stakes for other societal parties, the widerthe scope of programmes became and the moreparticipation was required. That is why already along time ago, when the rst polders were made, theDutch developed a culture of multi-party negotiation(polderen). This was also institutionalised in theway the water management itself and its policyprogrammes were organised. To illustrate thisorganisational complexity: in the Delta programme,three ministries, the national water managementauthority Rijkswaterstaat, almost all water boards,multiple municipalities, provinces and the port of

Rotterdam worked together in six regional and three

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USED SOURCES: Delta programme:

http://www.deltacommissaris.nl/english/ Lenselink, G. and K. Meijer (2013). Handvaten voor inzet

Deltaprogramma voor toepassing in het buitenland,Presentatie 23 augustus 2013.

Marchand, M., T. Bucx, B. Makaske, C. van de Guchte& W. van Driel (2012). Enabling Delta Life Whatmakes managing land and water in deltas different?Discussion paper. Delta Alliance and GWP.www.gwp.org / www.delta-alliance.org

Renaud F.G., et al.: Tipping from the Holocene tothe Anthropocene: How threatened are major worlddeltas?, Curr Opin Environ Sustain (2013),http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.cosust.2013.11.007

national subprogrammes under direction of the DeltaCommissioner. In addition, many societal organisationsparticipated in the programme and multiple universities,knowledge institutes and consultants provided theprogramme with the necessary data, calculations andknowledge. The main characteristics of the current DutchDelta ApproachSo the Dutch Delta Approach (DDA) has evolved overtime, while struggling with the typical pressures thatdeltas face and learning from the mistakes made alongthe way. It is also clear that the approach containsmultiple building blocks, mixing old and new ideas, andbuilding upon tradition.It feels like the richness of the DDA is done short if wereduce it to a few concrete building blocks . That is whywe explain them all on the next page. Overall you cansay that the Dutch Delta Approach:> Provides a broad range of solutions to Delta

Challenges, proven in practice, rooted in a strongengineering tradition and complemented with

innovations such as building with nature and waterrobust city design and building.

> Is an integrated approach. Water challenges in crowdeddeltas are always connected to challenges in spatialplanning, biodiversity and economic development. DDAprovides methods for balanced assessment of effectsand stimulates integrated solutions.

> Supports multi-level governance. Water managementin the Netherlands is well organised across scalesand water dependent sectors. With institutionsthat know how to nd and deal with each other attheir boundaries. Participation of societal groups is

encouraged to enhance legitimacy and feasibility.In this setting the potential is increased that Deltachallenges can be dealt with at the right scale andlevel and with the necessary support.

> Is an adaptive planning approach which is calledAdaptive Delta Management. It encourages exibleand robust decision making and design under a rangeof future scenarios while seizing oppor tunities arisingfrom investment agendas outside the water domain.

> Builds upon a strong knowledge and experience

base which supports quantitative risk-based decisionmaking, which practically supports and is targetedtowards the decision making process and providesknowledge tools allowing for joint fact nding.

As sketched above deltas are complex dynamicsystems, evolving over time through interactionbetween the physical environment (which hasbeen shaped over thousands of years) and humaninterventions (at much shorter timeframes), oftenaimed at better controlling natural climatic andhydrological variability and exploiting the availablenatural resources. Not all world deltas are in thesame stage of this evolution and in the same stateof anthropogenic modications. The Dutch Deltais one of the deltas with a longer human history ofmodications. Worrying is that currently a number ofdeltas, in rapidly developing areas, are being modiedat a high pace, of ten uncontrolled, irreversibly andunsustainable. The Dutch Delta Approach, not as ablueprint but applied to the specic circumstances,

could be benecially in these deltas as well.

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http://www.deltacommissaris.nl/english/http://www.gwp.org%20/%20www.delta-alliance.orghttp://dx.doi.org/%2010.1016/j.cosust.2013.11.007http://dx.doi.org/%2010.1016/j.cosust.2013.11.007http://www.gwp.org%20/%20www.delta-alliance.orghttp://www.deltacommissaris.nl/english/


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Ur n lt worl w r f c ng th ch ll ng ; popul t on growth, oo r k, p t lpl nn ng, c rc n tur l r ourc . Wh l tholut on for ch lt y ff r nt, thpr con t on for u t n l lt ppro ch rth . in clo coop r t on w th ur n ltworlw , th N th rl n v lop th tw lv

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INTRODUCING TWELVE BUILDING BLOCKSFOR A DELTA APPROACH

The delta approach is a strategic planning process for deltadevelopment that integrates sustainability, institutional, physicaland social economic aspects. It is an integrated water managementplanning approach that has proven to be very successful in theDutch Delta programme, and has been tested and developed withinternational partners. The 12 building blocks are essential for adelta approach and can also be applied in other delta countries/regions/cities to further delta planning processes.

THE BUILDING BLOCKS IN TEN DELTASThis publication highlights the delta approach in ten countries indifferent stages of the planning process. Some rural, some urban,varying in size, investment and impact. While Egypt and Myanmarare now undertaking the rst impact studies, the Dutch Roomfor the River programme has almost been completed. Each caseserves as an example of the use of different building blocks. Theten countries are also examples of the long term water partnershipsbetween the Netherlands and deltas worldwide.

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INTEGRATED APPROACH A delta approachs main focus is water protectionand availability, however it should also encompassnature, ecology, economy, recreation and spatialplanning. To make a truly integrated delta plan itshould address content as well as organisation,

nance, process and planning

SUSTAINABILITY, FLEXIBILITY,SOLIDARITY

The basic principles that guide the delta

planning process are sustainability,exibility and solidarity. The right solutions

meet these three preconditions. Thechosen solution should work and continue

to do so in the future, despite otherdevelopments and should not harm the

environment or society.

ANCHORING IN LEGISLATION ANDDEPOLITIZATION

A legal basis for delta planning and guidanceof the process by a non-political commissioner

depoliticizes the process, clearly sets theresponsibilities and makes it less vulnerable to

political mood swings.

FINANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION Financing the implementation of

the delta plan should be an upfront

concern. Vulnerabilities to politicalshort-term thinking must be avoided.Private nancing can be explored as

an interesting opportunity.

LONG TERM APPROACH VS. SHORTTERM MEASURES

By taking the long term into account inthe short term measures that are takena robust, exible, future proof delta plan

is developed.

COOPERATION WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTLEVELS AND STAKEHOLDERS

National government, regional governments andother stakeholders should cooperate to develop a

full-edged integrated delta plan that taps into localdevelopments.

FOCUS ON KEY DECISIONS ANDCLEAR DEADLINES

By setting clear deadlines in thedecision making process, progress isguaranteed and delays in the process

are prevented

SUPPORTED ANALYSIS INSTRUMENTS Since many actors are needed for integrated delta

planning, supported analysis instruments areindispensable to come to agreed upon facts and

solutions.

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES ANDUSING SCENARIOS

To deal with uncertainties about future developmentsscenarios can be used to integrate long term into

short term no-regret measures

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES INDECISION MAKING

Uncertainties in developments oftenlead to uncertainties in decision

making. Adaptive decision making, thatdescribes which decision should be

made when on the basis of which data,is therefore indispensable.

INNOVATION A sustainable approach is t for the future

and therefore a driver for innovation and newtechnologies.

QUALITY LABEL Incorporating the building blocks isa foundation for sustainable deltamanagement. A tool that enablesprofessionals, governments andinvestors to assess whether an

approach follows the same criteria asthe renowned Dutch Delta Approach,or achieves the same quality level by

incorporating Dutch Expertise.

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The TWelVe bUildiNg blOCks FOr a delTa aPPrOaCh


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N : Dutch River RegionPopu t on: 4 million

U n o u : Rural a ov o ow v : Just aboveTot nv t nt: EUR 2.3 billion

Extremely high water levels. Thatis the greatest challenge the riverregion in the Netherlands facestoday. In 1993 and 1995, waterlevels in the Netherlands reacheda critical level, weakening thedikes to the point of collapse. Aquarter of a million inhabitantshad to be evacuated, along with

one million cattle. As heavy rainfallis becoming more common andwill become even more so in thefuture the Dutch government iscontinually working on ensuringthe safety of the river regionsthrough programmes such as Roomfor the River.

Reinforcing dikes is not an adequatesolution. In order to drain excesswater into the sea, measures must

also include widening and deepeningrivers. At more than 30 locations,the Room for the River Programmeallows rivers more space, forexample by moving dikes, diggingsecondary channels and deepeningood plains.

The Room for the River Programmeuses a globally innovative approach

to protect areas against riverooding. Giving the river more roomnot only protects the river regionsfrom oods but also improves theoverall quality of the area, withnew nature and recreational areasas an added bonus. In short, anintegrated approach improvesboth safety and spatial quality.Multiple Dutch partners includingcentral government, and localprovinces, municipalities and waterboards, companies and NGOsare implementing the Room forthe River Programme. This closecooperation between national andregional governments ensures

support and reduces the riskof delays.

Room for the River is a pilotprogramme for the Dutch DeltaProgramme, which is designed toprepare the Netherlands for extremenatural events. The main objectiveof this programme is to make watersafety and freshwater suppliessustainable and predictable by 2050.The Dutch Delta approach is based

on ve Ds: Delta Act, Delta Fund,Delta Commissioner, Delta Decisionsand Delta Programme. The so-calledDelta Decisions, for example guidethe concrete approach to the Rhine-Meuse delta with regard to waterstorage and drainage, and the needfor new dams or dikes.

www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/english

THE NETHERLANDSROOM FOR THE RIVER

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INTEGRATED APPROACH

GOVERNANCE AND COOPERATION

WITH STAKEHOLDERS

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http://www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/englishhttp://www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/english


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N : Bangladesh DeltaPopu t on: 155 million

Ur n or rur l: Rural, with several rapidly urbanising cities a ov o un v : Just above Tot nv t nt: EUR7.65 million

Bangladesh, encompassingthe Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river systems,can in many respects beconsidered one of themost dynamic deltas inthe world. Huge amounts

of water and sedimentoften exceed the carryingcapacity of Bangladeshrivers. Cyclones and coastaloods, intensied by climatechange effects, and a rangeof socio-economic trends,pose additional challenges.The Bangladesh Delta Plan2100 (BDP2100) attemptsto address these issuesby developing a long term,

holistic delta vision andadaptive strategy.

Amongst socio-economictrends are a rapidly increasingpopulation and a growingdemand for food. The alreadyhigh pressure on availableland adds to the complexity ofwater-related problems

in the Bangladesh Delta, whichall need to be addressed inorder to support sustainableliving conditions and continuedeconomic growth.

The Bangladesh Delta Planaims to deliver an umbrelladevelopment vision, strategyand implementation planthat can act as a frameof reference for newgovernmental policy, therebysupporting the integration ofexisting sectoral developmentplans. At the same time itaims to provide anchorage

for numerous on-goingprojects and no-regretmeasures to delta challengesin the short term.

A range of stakeholders isinvolved in an interactivemanner, ensuring thenecessary institutionalsupport for the developmentand implementation of theprogramme. BDP2100 links

with the Five Year investmentplans, which are coordinatedby the Government ofBangladesh. Importantly, theBangladesh Delta Plan willbuild on insights from theDutch Delta Programme andthe Mekong Delta Plan. www.bandudeltas.org

BANGLADESHINTEGRATED DELTA PLANNING

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LONG-TERM APPROACH VS.

SHORT-TERM MEASURES

COOPERATION WITH OTHER

GOVERNMENT LEVELS AND

STAKEHOLDERS

INTEGRATED APPROACH

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http://www.bandudeltas.org/http://www.bandudeltas.org/


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N : Greater Jakartametropolitan areaPopu t on: < 4 million

U n o u : Urban a ov o ow v : 3 m to + 1 m

Indonesia is booming and its capitalJakarta is growing right along withit. The greater Jakarta metropolitanarea is urbanising rapidly. Whileimmigrants from other parts ofIndonesia are sprawling the cityand squatting uncontrollably, ofcebuildings, shopping centres andhousing for higher and middle-income households are being

developed in a well-organised fashion.Jakartas urbanisation is puttingthe infrastructure under enormouspressure and causing environmentalproblems such as pollution.Meanwhile, Jakarta is sinking into thesea due to subsidence and a risingsea level. The overexploitation of groundwaterresources is causing Jakarta to sinkslowly below sea level at an alarming

rate of 7.5 centimetres a year. As aresult, the metropolis must constantlybe protected against ooding from thesea and the 13 rivers that run through it.

The National Capital Integrated CoastalDevelopment (NCICD) programme isdesigned to turn the tide and protectJakarta from oods while revitalisingits coastline, improving the water

quality of channels and rivers andproviding new socio-economicopportunities in the coastal area.The integrated approach draws onexperience the Dutch have gained inpolder creation and water management.An important rst step is to slowdown the subsidence process which iscausing even greater problems withwater drainage, demanding increasinglyhigher dikes of up to 7 metres. Thewater sanitation programme must beaccelerated as large water retentionreservoirs will have to be constructedto store the urban drainage water.Given the current water quality,these reservoirs are bound to change

into open septic tanks. The existingcoastal protection structures andriver embankments will also need tobe reinforced to limit the expectedovertopping in one or two years.

The current strategy of onshore seadefence will only last 10 to 15 years.After this period, an offshore protectionand water storage system is required.Revenues from land reclamationsand toll roads can largely nance this

ood protection system. The landreclamations are fully integratedwith the Outer Sea Wall and thereclamations will be made in the shapeof the so-called Great Garuda. Thisiconic design with a mix of housing,retail and ofces and recreational areaswill attract both investors and residents.

en.ncicd.com

INTEGRATED APPROACH

FINANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION

LONG-TERM APPROACH

VS SHORT-TERM MEASURES

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES

USING SCENARIOS

INDONESIATURNING THREATS INTO BENEFITS

6 1 0 3 1 s , 1 0 6 4 9 3 7 e

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N : Nile DeltaPopu t on: 10 million

U n o u : Urbanand rural s v : Just aboveTot nv t nt: EUR 2.4million

The Nile delta is heavilypopulated, with up to 1,600inhabitants per square kilometre.The Nile delta coastal zoneencompasses more than 40%of Egypts industries and hostsvital centres for tourism,agriculture and sh farms. Bythe year 2075, a coastal area of

about 500 km2

will be vulnerableto ooding. The sandy barrier,separating the inland lakes fromthe sea, is very narrow and lowlying, presently subject to strongerosion.

A UNDP report on climate changeimpacts estimates that hundredsof billions of Egyptian pounds,about 2 to 6% of future grossdomestic product, could be lost

from effects of climate changeon water resources, agriculture,coastal resources and tourism.Thousands could die from airpollution and heat stress. Millionscould lose jobs in agriculture asthe result of climate change. In amiddle scenario of sea-level rise,about 40 km 2 of agricultural landwill be lost by the year 2060.

The Egyptian-Dutch High LevelWater Panel, established 38years ago, addresses these veryurgent coastal zone challenges.Dialogues, knowledge exchangesessions and preparatory studiesled to a public procurement forthe development of an IntegratedCoastal Zone Managementstrategy (ICZM) and a shorelinemanagement plan for theEgyptian Mediterranean Coastfrom the Libyan border to theGaza border. It should recognise,incorporate and address theconcerns of all stakeholdersthrough a well-dened and

structured participatoryapproach.

Next to the tremendous naturalchallenges there are also anumber of institutional and legalchallenges. The institutionalframework for addressingresponsibilities in Egypt iscomplex and sometimes unclear.Cooperation among agencies islimited. The ICZM strategy must

incorporate all required legislativeand institutional changes thatwould facilitate the adoption, buy-in, and seamless development andimplementation. The project, witha total budget of EUR 2.4 million,will be funded by Europeaid andshould start by the end of 2014and be nished within 30 months.

EGYPTNILE DELTA NEEDS A SHORELINE MASTER

3 0 5 4 0 N , 3

1 7 0 e


INTEGRATED APPROACH

LEGISLATION AND

DEPOLITISATION

GOVERNANCE AND COOPERATION

WITH STAKEHOLDERS

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N of t : North Eastregion USA Popu t on: NYC 9.5 million,New Jersey 8.8 million

U n o u : Urban a ov o un v : + 2.5metres (lowest point NYC)Tot nv t nt: USD 930million

Hurricane Sandy painfully clariedthe implications of climate changefor the north-eastern region ofthe United States, exposing thevulnerabilities of the area. Sincethen the affected region has not

just been rebuilt, but solutions are

being sought that are in line withthe natural and socio-economiccharacteristics of the region. Nota plan, but a culture change. In the autumn of 2012, 650,000homes and hundreds of thousands ofcompanies in the largest metropolisof the nation were damaged ordestroyed. In response, PresidentObama appointed the Hurricane SandyRebuilding Task Force in order todeliver aid, help and respond effectivelyand coordinate the rebuilding of theNew York New Jersey region. Tobecome more resilient to climatechange the Sandy Task Force, togetherwith philanthropy, set up an ambitiousproject: Rebuild By Design (RBD).

After Hurricane Sandy revealedalarming infrastructural, environmental

and social vulnerabilities, RBDassembled 10 teams (out of 148) ofarchitects, engineers, planners andenvironmental scientists to undertakea regional research-intensive designprocess, identifying environmentalconcerns and developing strategiesthat will have a signicant impact onthe region and its communities. RBDis positioned not just to rebuild afterthe storm, but also to design a moresustainable and resilient region overthe long term.

The designs combine innovationand regional strategy with location-specic, customised solutions. Each

design team is made up of a coalitionof local stakeholders includinggovernment ofcials, entrepreneurs,residents, researchers, NGOs andother organisations. This level ofcooperation is unprecedented and hasa strong Dutch avour.

The same is true for the innovativedesigns with members in six outof 10 teams, the Dutch are wellrepresented here, too. The winningRebuild by Design projects wereannounced in June 2014. The city ofNew York and the states of New Yorkand New Jersey are responsible forimplementation of the projects. Aninitial billion dollars of federal fundinghas been received for the realisationof the six projects.

www.rebuildbydesign.org

INTEGRATED APPROACH

INNOVATION


SUPPORTED ANALYSIS

NEW YORK (USA)REBUILD BY DESIGN AFTER HURRICANE SANDY

4 3 0 0 N , 7

5 0 0 W

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http://www.rebuildbydesign.org/http://www.rebuildbydesign.org/


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N of t : AyeyarwadyDeltaPopu t on: 6.6 million

a ov or low l v l: +3 m U n o u : Rural

The Ayeyarwady Delta inMyanmar is extremely fertile.The area, which is plagued byoods, salinity and erosion,can play an important role inthe economic development ofthis Southeast Asian country.The rst step is to assess thevulnerabilities and, in particular,the resilience of the delta.

At about three metres above sealevel, thedeltas sediment plays a dominantrole in the large-scale cultivationof rice. The delta region is denselypopulated and is dotted withshing communities in villagesand market towns,mostly located along the riversand streams.That is why the destructioncaused by Cyclone Nargis in May2008 was so catastrophic, causingnearly 140 thousand casualtiesand severe economic damage.

Myanmar has asked theNetherlands to take the leadin drawing up an adaptive,integrated water managementplan for both the delta and

the rest of the country to copewith Myanmars expected hugeeconomic growth and increasingpressure on water resources asa result of this. Delta AlliancePartners Deltares and Alterraare conducting a Vulnerabilityand Resilience AssessmentAyeyarwady Delta study, whichis nanced by the Global WaterPartnership (GWP) and Bay ofBengal Large Marine Ecosystem(BOBLME).

The Ayeyarwady Delta iscurrently still, for the most part,

underdeveloped. Uncoordinatedexploitation of its resources insome areas may pose seriousthreats to the health of thedelta. Effective, cross-sectoralmanagement of the water system,in which local stakeholders areinvolved, will lead to sustainablesolutions in the long term. Thelist of problems may seem long:Mangroves are cut down for fuel,there is overshing, river bankerosion and deterioration of waterquality as a result of salinisation.However, by applying IntegratedWater Resources Management(IWRM), the delta can be usedby the local people withoutcompromising the integrity ofthese systems or overexploitingtheir natural resources.

MYANMARMAKING USE OF THE RESILIENCE OFTHE DELTA

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5 6 0 e

INTEGRATED APPROACH

SUSTAINABILITY, FLEXIBILIT Y,

SOLIDARITY

SUPPORTED ANALYSIS

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18/23

N : BeiraPopu t on: 0,6 million

U n o u : Urbans v : Just above Tot nv t nt: Approx. EUR 2 million

Beira and Rotterdam: twolow-lying cities in denselypopulated deltas withports serving a massivehinterland. People keepocking to Mozambiquesseaport and settling inlow-lying areas that arenot t for habitation.Waterborne diseases,

especially malaria, arerampant and the citysinfant mortality rate isdramatically high. Whatcan Beira learn from itsDutch counterpart?

Focusing solely on watersafety and water supplyin these neighbourhoodsmeans you are onlyaddressing part of theproblem. In additionto water safety, theintegrated approach ofthe Beira Master Plan2035, which has beencommissioned by theBeira Municipality anddrawn up in consultationwith all stakeholders inthe city, aims to stimulate

both land developmentand economic growth.One important insightand result gained duringthe development processof the Beira Master Planis the need for a public-private Land DevelopmentCompany (LDC).A company responsible forsite preparation and forallocating suitable parcelsof land for housing andbusiness purposes. TheBeira Municipality drewup the master plan inassociation with a Dutch

consortium, aided byfunding from the DutchGlobal Water programme.The establishment ofthe LDC, again with helpfrom the Netherlands, iscurrently underway.

The next step is preparingland developmentbusiness cases aimedat generating concreteinvestment projects.At the request of theBeira Municipality, Dutchexperts will remainactively involved. Detailednancial engineering andthe inclusion of crucialdevelopment partnerswill be the next stepafter that.

MOZAMBIQUEA MASTER PLAN FOR BEIRA

1 9 4 9 5 7 s , 3

4 5 1 2 6 e

INTEGRATED APPROACH,




STAKEHOLDERS

18


19/23

N : Vistula and OderDeltaPopul t on: 2 million

Ur n or rur l: Urbanand rural

a ov or low l v l:-1.8 m to +2.5 m

Poland is a country of water,although it does not have areputation as such. Almostall major Polish cities arelocated by the sea or a riverand are directly inuencedby water. Sometimes, as isthe case with the Vistula and

Oder Rivers, which run fromthe mountains in the southto the Baltic Sea and the low-lying, at deltas in the north,the inuence of water is toogreat. The one-dimensionalriver system set up in thepast is highly susceptible toooding. In the last century,various Polish rivers werecanalised and subsequentlypoorly maintained. Watermanagement was consideredan architectural problem,with concrete as the solution.Little attention was paid to thenatural behaviour of rivers,resulting today in oodingproblems causing annual ooddamages of up to EUR 3 billion

in 2010 alone. In addition, citiessuch as Warsaw and Cracoware unable to exploit the social,economic and ecologicalpotential of their rivers tothe full.

Awareness that things canand must change is gainingground in Poland, which isalso being affected by climatechange. Economically, theCentral European country isdoing well. Poland is reapingthe fruits of EU membership,also in terms of knowledge

exchange. There are valuablelessons to be learned from theNetherlands and the DutchDelta Programme in terms ofits holistic, integrated approachto spatial planning and watermanagement.

In the coming years, aidedby Dutch knowledge andinnovation and Europeanfunding, efforts will focuson ensuring water safety inthe form of infrastructure,retention and limiting buildingin areas susceptible to ooding.This alternative approach willmake room for nature whilecreating opportunities fortourism, recreation and naturedevelopment, both in oodplains and on city shores.

POLANDWATER KNOWLEDGE HASECONOMIC POTENTIAL

5 2 8 4 9 N , 1

9 2 2 4 1 e

INTEGRATED APPROACH



STAKEHOLDERS


19


20/23

N : Mekong DeltaPopu t on: 17 million(expected shrink to 15 orgrowth to 30 million)

U n o u :Urbanisation 28%

a ov o un v :Greater parts + 1.5 m

In the past decades, the MekongDelta, with its rich land andwater resources, successfullydeveloped into the granary ofthe country and turned Vietnaminto one of the leading riceexporters globally. On the other

hand, the economic developmentof the delta lags behind otherregions in the country. In itspresent state, the MekongDelta is very vulnerable. Floods,droughts and salinity aredominant problems, hamperinga prosperous and sustainedeconomic development.

Inspired by the experiences in theNetherlands, the Government ofVietnam expressed the strongintention to work towards aMekong Delta Plan for a safe,prosperous and both economicallyand environmentally sustainabledevelopment of the delta. Itpresents a vision to use thecomparative advantages of thedelta and focus on agro-businessindustrialisation. Organisation of

the agricultural producers enablesa better position to reducetransaction costs, platformsfor more sustainable land andwater resources management,improvement of product qualityand competitiveness.

Diversication over the provincesis necessary to adapt as muchas possible to available landand water resources. Importantexamples are a saline coastalzone with room for aquacultureintegrated with mangroverestoration and in the upper delta

controlled ooding with waterretention and sh farming in theood season instead of a third ricecrop. Still, large-scale measuresto guarantee ood protectionand fresh water availability maybe required when climate changecauses persisting sea level riseand droughts.

The plan offers an assessmentframework for government,donors and international nancialinstitutions for moving fromplanning to implementation. Theplan enjoys broad support from the World Bank, the AsianDevelopment Bank, the UnitedNations and countries such asAustralia and Germany.

VIETNAMMEKONG DELTA PLAN: LONG-TERMVISION AND STRATEGY

1 5 6 1 9 . 9

N , 1

0 5 4 8 4 9 . 5

e

INTEGRATED APPROACH

SUSTAINABILITY, FLEXIBILIT Y,

SOLIDARITY

SUPPORTED ANALYSIS



STAKEHOLDERS

20


21/23

N : Cauca River DepartmentPopul t on: 4,5 million

Ur n or rur l: Rural s l v l: +1 to +1,2 mTot l nv t nt: Approx. EUR2.5 million

If the Cauca River overowsits banks, this will cause majorsocio-economic damage to theCauca Valley. As this valley is animportant agricultural region thatrepresents the heart of Colombiassugarcane industry, oodingwill also affect the Colombianeconomy. The challenge is to

limit the risk of ooding whilepaying sufcient attention to riverecology recovery. This requiresbalancing the interests of a largenumber of stakeholders. Due to the uvial morphodynamicsof the Cauca River and the atnature of the valley oor, the CaucaValley has suffered from oodsfor many years, the last of whichoccurred in 2011. The ministry,the local councils and the farmersowning land adjacent to the river areresponsible for water managementin Colombia, which makes theprocess of reaching agreements farfrom easy. The economic interestsof the sugarcane growers are great.To strike the right balance betweenthe desired level of safety and ahealthy river eco-system, it is vital

that all stakeholders participate in acoordinated ood risk managementplan.

The Autonomous RegionalDevelopment Corporation of Cauca(CVC) plays a central role in thisplan. With support from a Dutchconsortium, CVC experts analyseexisting water safety and assessthe consequences of variousood scenarios. They draw up amaster plan using their experiencewith an integrated approach andparticipation of stakeholders fromthe Dutch Room for the River

project.

Dutch experience has shown thatstakeholders need to be involvedin an active and timely manner.It is important to provide theright level of detail during thedevelopment process, movingfrom general concepts to concreteactions. Ultimately, the individuallandowners and municipalities areresponsible for the implementationof systematic measures, andthe regional governments fornon-systematic measures suchas subsidy programmes, trainingprogrammes, regulation andenforcement. The project alsoincludes searching for funding fromexternal sources, such as WorldBank programmes or Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank programmes.

COLOMBIABALANCING INTERESTS AROUNDTHE CAUCA RIVER

3 2 7 2 6 N ,

7 6 3 1 4 2 W

INTEGRATED APPROACH



STAKEHOLDERS


SUPPORTED ANALYSIS

21


22/23

THE DELTA ALLIANCEDelta Alliance is an international knowledge-drivennetwork organisation with the mission of improvingthe resilience of the worlds deltas. With increasingpressure from population growth, industrialization anda changing climate, it is more important than ever thatthese valuable and vulnerable locations increase theirresilience to changing conditions. Delta Alliance bringspeople together who live and work in deltas.Delta Alliance has ten network wings where activitiesare focused: California Bay (USA), Ciliwung andMahakam (Indonesia), Mekong (Vietnam), Rhine-Meuse

(the Netherlands), Nile (Egypt), Pantanal (Brazil),Ganges-Brahmaputra (Bangladesh), Mississippi (USA),Yangtze (China) and Parana (Argentina). Additionalnetwork wings will soon be included in Delta Allianceto further benet from the wealth of informationavailable in these deltas.www.delta-alliance.org

DELTARESDeltares is an independent institute for applied researchin the eld of water, subsurface and infrastructure.Throughout the world, they work on smart solutions,innovations and applications for people, environmentand society. Their main focus is on deltas, coastal regionsand river basins. Managing these densely populated andvulnerable areas is complex, which is why they workclosely with governments, businesses, other researchinstitutes and universities at home and abroad. Theirmotto is Enabling Delta Life. As an applied researchinstitute, the success of Deltares can be measured in theextent to which their expert knowledge can be used inand for society. For Deltares the quality of their expertise

and advice is foremost. Knowledge is their core business.All contracts and projects, whether nanced privatelyor from strategic research budgets, contribute to theconsolidation of their knowledge base. Furthermore, theybelieve in openness and transparency, as is evident fromthe free availability of their software and models. Opensource works, is their rm conviction. Deltares employsover 800 people and is based in Delft and Utrecht.www.deltares.com

THE DUTCH GOVERNMENTThe Dutch Government is an active player in water

management, both in terms of policy and in executionand maintenance. With the global water programme,the government aims to build long term partnershipswith several deltas. Topsector Water is a collectiveproject of the Dutch Government, corporations andresearch institutes to promote and support thenational and international watersector.www.topsectorwater.nlThe Delta Programme is in place to protect theNetherlands from ooding and to ensure a sufcientsupply of fresh water. The Delta Commissioner, aspecial government commissioner, is in charge of theDelta Programme.www.deltacommissaris.nl/englishGovernments often call upon the Netherlands forwaterexpertise to tackle urgent water issues. Tomeet these demands with a swift response, the DutchGovernment has initiated the Dutch Risk ReductionTeam, in close cooperation with the Dutch WaterSector. More information:www.dutchwatersector.com/drr

THE NETHERLANDS WATER PARTNERSHIPThe Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) is acomprehensive network that unites Dutch waterexpertise. The partnership, consisting of 200 membersfrom private companies, government, knowledgeinstitutes and NGOs, acts as a centre of informationon water expertise, policy developments andmarket opportunities. The NWP bureau coordinatesinternational representation of the Dutch Water Sectoron events, trade missions and facilitates incomingvisits of professionals, press and politicians and is yourgateway to the Dutch Water Sector.

www.nwp.nl WWW.DUTCHWATERSECTOR.COMInternational website of the Dutch Water Sector,featuring daily news on worldwide water events,projects, best practices and expertise.www.dutchwatersector.comFor more information on the Building Blocksfor a Delta Approachwww.dutchwatersector.com/delta

THE DELTA APPROACH: CONTACTSs v r l org n t on off r xp rt on th (dutch) d lt ppro ch n /or th dutch W t r s ctor.

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http://www.delta-alliance.org/http://www.deltares.com/http://www.topsectorwater.nl/http://www.deltacommissaris.nl/englishhttp://www.dutchwatersector.com/drrhttp://www.nwp.nl/http://www.dutchwatersector.com/deltahttp://www.dutchwatersector.com/deltahttp://www.nwp.nl/http://www.dutchwatersector.com/drrhttp://www.deltacommissaris.nl/englishhttp://www.topsectorwater.nl/http://www.deltares.com/http://www.delta-alliance.org/


23/23

75BAlterraArcadisBosch SlabbersDaphniaD.EFAC.TODelft University of TechnologyDelta Alliance

Delta ProgrammeDeltaresDienst Landelijk GebiedEcorysEuroconsult Mott MacDonaldGrontmijH+N+SKuiper CompagnonsMinistry of Infrastructure and the Environment

One ArchitecturePartners for Water ProgrammeRebuild by DesignRebel GroupRoom for the River ProgrammeRoyal HaskoningDHVTwynstra GuddeTygron

UNESCO-IHEUrbanistenVan den Broek ConsultingVolker Infra DesignWageningen UniversityWaterboard de DommelWissingWitteveen+BosZus

PARTNERSm ny org n t on r nvolv n th d lt proj ct f tur n thpu l c t on, oth dutch n nt rn t on l, pu l c n pr v t . Wh r v l l , l nk to or nfor t on out th proj ct n ll p rtn r h n .

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THESE ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR COOPERATION:

ColophonThe Delta Approach is a publication of theDutch Government in the context of the WaterMondiaal programme (Partners for Water) andthe Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP).The magazine exemplies the Delta Approachand its preconditions for sustainable deltamanagement all over the world.

Content & Editing Christina Boomsma (NWP),Bianca Dijkshoorn (NWP), Peter van den Horn(NWP), Ad Jeuken (Deltares), Martijn vanStaveren (Bangladesh), Henk Ovink (USA),Edyta Wisniewska (Poland), Ben Lamoree(Mozambique), Klaas de Groot (Colombia),Tjitte Nauta (Myanmar), Gerardo van Halsema(Vietnam), Michel Tonneijck (Vietnam), JobDronkers (Egypt), Victor Coenen (Indonesia),Jade Wissink (Netherlands)

Concept and realisation Kris Kras context,

content and design

Photo credits Kuijper Compagnons, Deltares,CVC Corporacin Autnoma Regional DelValle Del Cauca, Ruimte voor de Rivier,NASA Earth Observatory, Wissing, Rebuildby Design: BIG TEAM, dollarphotoclub.com,istockphoto.com, Hollandse Hoogte, ANPPhoto

For more information please contact:Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP)Communications DepartmentP.O. Box 823272508 EH The HagueThe Netherlands

T + 31 (0)70 3043700E [email protected]

Nothing in this publication may be reproducedwithout prior permission of NWP.

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http://www.kriskras.nl/http://www.kriskras.nl/http://www.kriskras.nl/mailto:?subject=info%40nwp.nl%20mailto:?subject=info%40nwp.nl%20http://www.kriskras.nl/http://www.kriskras.nl/

the delta approach [author: netherlands water partnership (nwp)]

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