News

The European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), up to 5 metres long and 400 kg heavy, once swam everywhere in north-western Europe. Due to overfishing, dams and pollution, this primordial fish almost became extinct. In the 1990s, it was saved by a French breeding programme and it is now being investigated whether the sturgeon can return to the Rhine. Information on the main habitats and migration routes is very important for this. In new research led by Sportvisserij Nederland and Wageningen University, Deltares is using the D-Eco Impact tool, which will help put the puzzle together as to whether reintroduction is feasible.

Deltares was honoured to welcome the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. The President and the King visited our Delft campus as part of the Portuguese state visit to the Netherlands. Accompanied by a delegation of Portuguese Members of Parliament and businesses, they received a demonstration of our unique experimental facilities and learned more about the sustainable innovations Deltares works on to ensure oceans remain healthy.

The Netherlands regularly deepens and widens canals to keep them navigable. To do this work well, we need to know more about the interaction between the canals and the subsurface. In the coming period, Deltares will be studying the subsurface of both the Juliana Canal and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal for Rijkswaterstaat.

A new study from the USGS, in collaboration with Deltares, Deltares USA, and many other partners, highlights the escalating climate risks for coastal communities along the Southeastern U.S. Atlantic coast. Projections indicate that by 2100, up to 70% of the population will be exposed daily to shallow and emerging groundwater. Combined with other climate-driven coastal hazards such as flooding, beach erosion, and subsidence, these threats underscore the urgent need for comprehensive climate adaptation planning.

How do wind farms affect the North Sea ecosystem? The new research project NO-REGRETS aims to answer this question. Deltares is one of the key partners in this five-year project, which has received €6.7 million in funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

Globally, energy use in buildings is a significant contributor to CO₂ emissions. To help reduce climate impact, Deltares is launching a pilot project with AquaBattery on its Delft campus. This innovation, based on table salt and water, enables renewable energy to be stored efficiently and sustainably over longer periods. From November 2024, Deltares will test this sustainable battery, aiming to make its campus Paris Proof by 2040.

How do we best make use of our existing water infrastructure? And how do we help water managers balance the various interests they face in their daily work? Optimisation techniques for operational water management have now been assembled by Deltares for the first time in the overview paper 'Optimisation methods in water system operation'. The authors have compiled optimization techniques that they have been using in practice and the paper is intended for (prospective) water managers. At the same time, the authors invite fellow scientists to further develop optimisation techniques specifically for water management.

Water is essential for the Port of Rotterdam. It is used as a raw material, for cooling industry and as a means of transport for logistics. However, the quality and availability of water are changing, affecting the port, industry and logistics.

Storm surge barriers are vital to safeguarding the Netherlands from rising sea levels and extreme weather events. These imposing structures, such as the Maeslant Barrier and the Eastern Scheldt Barrier, protect our country from storm surges that could otherwise threaten its low-lying delta. However, as sea levels rise and climate change accelerates, questions arise about how long these barriers will remain effective, and how they should be maintained or adapted over time.

How can we enhance our knowledge and action perspectives to make the built environment more resilient to water shortages, now and in the future? This is the central question in the research project ‘Thirsty Cities’, which is being funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). The project is part of the National Science Agenda for The Netherlands.

Deltares has published the final Activity Plan SITO Institute Grant 2025. The Activity Plan outlines the main features of the Strategic Research that Deltares will carry out in 2025.

In a pioneering study, scientists from several European universities have developed innovative techniques to detect floating plastic debris in the ocean using advanced remote sensing technologies. A scientific article about this has appeared in Nature Scientific Reports.