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Every year, 108 million people fall victim to disasters arising due to extreme weather events. That is more than 6 times the total population of the Netherlands each year. Climate-related disasters include storms, floods, and extreme drought. Humanitarian emergency responders mobilise immediately after a disaster to provide necessary assistance to those affected in the disaster area as soon as possible. Due to the lack of up-to-date information, it is still not always possible to reach a disaster area quickly and efficiently.

In densely populated areas such as the Netherlands, more and more claims are being made on the subsurface. They involve drinking water supplies, housing, the energy transition, nitrogen emissions, sustainable agriculture and the protection of nature areas. The groundwater system and the ecosystems that depend on it are under increasing pressure as a result, and climate change is amplifying that pressure. In addition, two-thirds of the drinking water in the Netherlands is currently produced from groundwater.

An interdisciplinary group of experts from Deltares, other research institutes and universities argues in a new paper that extra elements must be added to flood risk management in order to make better decisions and develop strategies which enhance resilience and equity. Their view was published on 18 November 2022 in Nature Communications Earth & Environment.

Coastal deltas are prone to flooding due to their low elevation and dense population. Flooding in these areas can occur from several causes, including pluvial, fluvial, and coastal drivers. However, floods can also occur or be exacerbated from interactions between these drivers, which by itself do not have to be extreme. If these drivers are statistically dependent, their joint likelihood might be misrepresented if dependence is not accounted for. Dirk Eilander's (flood expert Deltares) doctoral research tomorrow morning at VU in Amsterdam, on coexistence in deltas, helps to better understand flood risks on a global scale.

Today, the Dutch ‘Champions Group for Deltas and Coastal Areas’ initiative was launched at COP27 in Egypt. The Champions are a group of countries facing huge challenges due to climate change, resulting in the need for large climate adaptation investments. Countries who are part of the Champions Group have agreed to share their knowledge and experience, allowing them to better and more quickly adapt to the changing climate. The Champions Group is one of the pillars of the International Panel on Deltas and Coastal Areas (IPDC), which will be officially launched during the UN 2023 Water Conference. As chair of the IPDC secretariat, Deltares will play a crucial role.

We’re living in the midst of many complex social issues. From economic uncertainty and historical developments in the energy market to global warming, from a health crisis to sustainability. The applied research organisations that form part of TO2 provide practical results for solving problems both for tomorrow as well as today.

To what extent are we able to prevent future floods, as observed along the Geul river in the Dutch city of Valkenburg in the summer of 2021? Measures to retain water upstream in the catchment (also in Belgium) for a longer period will reduce damages to some extent but are not expected to have enough effect to prevent extreme floods in the city.

Residents in Limburg were not all well informed about possible flood risks and some were very surprised that floods could occur to this extent in their hometown. That is one of the conclusions of a study conducted by the Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam and Deltares, following the July 2021 flood. Increasing risk awareness can lead citizens (and also governments) to be better prepared for floods, which can reduce damage and casualties in future events.

With the help of a flow model from Deltares and clever sailing, the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team (ROST) managed to achieve second place at the European Sea Sailing Championships on the Westerschelde near Breskens. Besides the young talent in the boat and good coaching of the sailing team, a decisive asset was knowledge about the currents in the dynamic area in the estuary of the Westerschelde.

More and more plants and animals can be found on the islands of the Marker Wadden. They include rare species such as the long-tailed duck, the little gull and the corncrake. At the KIMA conference in Amsterdam tomorrow, researchers will present five years of research on the Marker Wadden.