JCAR ATRACE programme officially kicks off
JCAR ATRACE, a joint cooperation programme facilitating scientific applied research on flood and drought risk management in regional river basins, was officially launched during the Benelux Water Day on 29 November.
About JCAR ATRACE
The JCAR ATRACE programme (Joint Cooperation programme on Applied scientific Research to Accelerate Transboundary Regional Adaptation to Climate Extremes) is an initiative by renowned knowledge institutes from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.
The programme aims to improve cooperation in flood and drought management and research. By jointly strengthening and making available the common knowledge base on extreme floods and droughts for regional waters, regional governments can better prepare for the consequences of extreme weather in the Benelux and in neighbouring countries Germany and France.
“The 2021 floods are still fresh in our minds. The changing climate means that such extreme events will become more frequent. I think it is extremely important that we prepare ourselves against them. Since water does not heed national borders, this kind of cooperation is especially important. By working together, we can bring together our knowledge and plans for more water security. It is good that we are getting to work on this, together with knowledge institute Deltares.
Mark Harbers, Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management,
Coordination by Deltares
Deltares is responsible for the coordination for the joint cooperation programme. In addition to Deltares, eight other knowledge institutes from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany are taking part, including TU Delft, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Twente, KU Leuven, University of Liège, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, GFZ Potsdam, and RWTH Aachen.
Long-term partnerships between these knowledge institutions are encouraged to increase the communal knowledge base informing flood and drought strategies.
Deltares looks forward to contributing to the much-needed acceleration of climate adaptation, in cooperation with our knowledge partners. In this way, we secure our long-term preparedness for the effects of extreme wet or dry weather. The JCAR ATRACE programme is a hopeful step towards making our regions more resilient, and ensuring social disruption and casualties can be prevented as much as possible in the future.
Annemieke Nijhof, Director Deltares
The programme's first joint studies will be published in 2024.