Last week was World Water Day, putting water in the spotlight. The Embassy team participated in our first of several activities planned for this year around the subject of water: in partnership with UK charity Canal and River Trust collagues helped with a canal cleanup session in central London. 

The Netherlands and the UK both face challenges with managing flood risks. The Dutch Rijkswaterstaat and England’s Environment Agency – national bodies responsible for flood protection - have a long history of close cooperation, spanning almost 70 years. The relationship illustrates the strong North Sea Neighbours ties between the UK and the Netherlands, and the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange when tackling water challenges and the impacts of climate change. 

We asked Kathryn Pettit (Environment Agency) and Hans Pietersen (Rijkswaterstaat) more about their collaboration.

When did the cooperation between the Rijkswaterstaat and Environment Agency (EA) start?

In 1953, the Netherlands and the UK experienced the catastrophic effects of the North Sea flood. The combined storm and spring tidal surge overwhelmed sea defences, damaged coastlines and flooded land. In the Netherlands, about 1,800 lives were lost, and in England and Scotland, 300 people died. 

A direct result of the 1953 floods can clearly be seen today: to prevent a disaster such as the North Sea flood from happening again, development began for the Thames Barrier in the UK (1982), and the Oosterscheldekering (part of the Deltaworks) in the Netherlands (1986).

Following the 1953 floods, a Dutch engineer formed the Kring van Zeeverende Ingenieurs (Circle of Coastal Engineers). Initially a Dutch network, it was later recognised that countries with a North Sea and Baltic coastline share a common challenge – how to best manage flood and coastal risk. Membership today includes Belgium, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. 

The 2014 floods in Somerset, UK, reignited on the ground collaboration between the Netherlands and UK water management experts. In 2015, Rijkswaterstaat and EA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), an umbrella under which they work together on numerous areas of shared interest. 

Why are collaborations like this so important?

Extreme weather events are not constrained by borders. The 1953 North Sea flood affected the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Belgium and Northern Germany. Currently, climate change is considered a global threat, leading to rising sea levels and increased extreme weather events, impacting the effectiveness and necessity of current water management schemes.  

Effective climate change adaptation and mitigation requires joint collaboration and action on a global scale. It also requires solutions based on the best practices of other nations: how to convert policies into meaningful projects, what can we learn from what has worked and what hasn’t worked. International collaborations also ensure access to and sharing the best available international evidence, and thereby influence decisions at the EA and Rijkswaterstaat. 

Geographical differences between the Netherlands and the UK mean differences in flood risks. However, there is much to learn from each other, and plenty of knowledge and inspiration to be exchanged.

For example, the first pilot of the nature-based Sand Motor approach was developed off the coast of the Netherlands in 2011. It moves sand to the seabed some distance from the beach; over time, the wind, waves, and currents naturally distribute the sand along the coast. The newly formed beaches and dunes will protect against rising sea levels and create more space for nature and recreation. Taking inspiration, the UK’s first sandscaping coastal management scheme was completed along the Norfolk coast in 2019. 

In Summer 2021, flooding experienced in the southern part of the Netherlands was similar in causation to flood incidences in certain parts of the UK. Incident Management exchanges ensure lessons are learned from UK experiences. 

Looking forward, what are the biggest challenges Rijkswaterstaat and the EA face in water management?

The biggest challenge for Rijkswaterstaat and the EA in water management is anticipating and planning for the impacts of climate change on national flood risks. 

The February 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report showed that, globally, the extent and magnitude of climate change impacts being felt are larger than they previously estimated. Climate change can lead to more extreme weather events (flooding and drought), and rising sea levels. Action to adapt and prevent climate change cannot wait. 

Relevant policies to address this emergency have been drawn by many countries, including the UK and Netherlands.

Alongside work to mitigate and manage flood and coastal risks due to rising sea levels or increased rainfall, other impacts arising from climate change need to be considered, such as more frequent heatwaves and drier summers. For example, in the Netherlands, low water levels in rivers due to drought impacted inland shipping routes and, consequently, supply chains in 2018. 

Rijkswaterstaat and the EA point out that to continue to safely manage water, more needs to be done to adapt to climate change. The development of infrastructure that can adapt to changing (coastal and inland) water levels, and incorporates Nature-Based Solutions, is a vital step. There are challenges in terms of long term investment, the longevity design of the infrastructure projects, and the space available for such developments.  

However, with inspirational examples from both the UK and the Netherlands, collaborating as North Sea Neighbours and with partners worldwide will ensure the development of innovative solutions to water challenges. 

Find out more about NL - UK partnerships and opportunties in water management and innovation: contact the embassy.