Cooperation Crisis Expertise on Flood Defences transcription

To ensure the Netherlands stays safe from flooding

Together we stand strong. For water management in the Netherlands this goes without saying. To protect our country against flooding, we have some 3,500 kilometres of primary flood defences and 14,000 kilometres of regional flood defences. There’s little chance that one of these defences will fail. However, we have to be prepared for flooding by breaches in our dikes, dams, levees or dunes, because that could have major consequences. We must be prepared with crisis partners to keep our flood defences functioning effectively and efficiently. Together, because we can’t do it on our own.

That is why the Cooperation Crisis Expertise on Flood Defences has been set up. This is the partnership where water managers, safety regions and the Ministry of Defence share practical knowledge about flood defences in crisis situations. The cooperation takes place under the umbrella of the Water Management Centre the Netherlands in which Rijkswaterstaat, the regional water authorities, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and the Ministry of Defence already work together, share knowledge and coordinate national water crises.

The Cooperation Crisis Expertise on Flood Defences has three objectives:

• To assess the current status of flood defences under special circumstances.
• To know what to do during threats and flood defence crises.
• To ensure that sufficient equipment and trained personnel can be deployed in the event of threats and flood defence crises.

Objective one is to assess the current status of flood defences under special circumstances. We achieve this by professionalising our monitoring of flood defences. This means, among other things, developing a consistent working method for dike monitoring, setting up training courses for inexperienced and experienced dike supervisors and certifying dike supervisors.

The second objective is to know what to do during threats and flood defence crises. To this end, the Crisis Team Flood Defences and Wiki Emergency Measures have been set up. Dutch water managers can quickly call in the experts of this Crisis Team for advice in the event of threats regarding their flood defences. Part of the team is internationally trained. As Inspection Team Averting Floods they learn, inspect and advise internationally. The experts are quickly available for assistance and act in confidentiality. Wiki Emergency Measures is the website with an overview of possible measures during flood threats and floods.

Objective three is to ensure that sufficient equipment and trained personnel can be deployed in the event of threats and flood defence crises, including military forces. Together we keep an overview of the deployable resources of the regional water authorities, Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Defence. The way in which equipment from the water boards can be requested is set out in a handbook.

To achieve these objectives the Cooperation Crisis Expertise on Flood Defences supports partners in education and training, exercises and the sharing of knowledge.

The education and training focuses on advisors and dike supervisors of the regional water authorities, Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Defence. The Water Risk Training Expertise centre actively shares and practices the specific knowledge and experience from all organisations during knowledge days.

Exercises are used to gain experience in the field and to test crisis plans. For example, the Polder2C project performs tests on the Scheldedijk in the Hedwigepolder.

National and international exchange of knowledge is essential, because in the Netherlands we are so well protected against water that there are almost no incidents involving flood defences. Internationally, there are agreements between Dutch, American and English flood defence experts. An Incident Observation Protocol gives partners the opportunity to observe and learn from each other during a water crisis.

It should be clear that we work together as experts in the Cooperation Crisis Expertise on Flood Defences. That is important. Because if we learn to do this efficiently and effectively now, we will be able to do so during flood defence crises. Together we stand strong. Now and in the future.

Do you want to know more or to participate? Take a look at Samenwerking Crisisexpertise Waterkeringen