Living with Water: Lessons from Rotterdam

“We work together with the Dutch engineering firm Royal HaskoningDHV and the insurer Achmea on the Blue Label (scheme). Every house has an energy (efficiency) label by European law, and the (Blue Label scheme) does the same for risk of flooding. The Blue Label is a way to communicate with citizens and an incentive to do something at an individual house level.” – Johan Verlinde

Good drainage and pumps are not enough to fight climate change. Besides building innovative infrastructure, cities must also engage their citizens to create a resilient and robust system, said Johan Verlinde, the program manager of Rotterdam’s Climate Adaptation Plan.

During his recent CLC Lecture, “Living with Water: Lessons from Rotterdam”, Verlinde shared various solutions that the Dutch port city has co-created with its population of some 600,000 to manage the impact of rising sea levels and changing weather. These multi-functional projects range from a large water storage facility that doubles as an Olympic rowing track to water squares that combine public spaces with room for rainwater retention in the city.

“We have to adapt our city, and we rely on other developments in the city, so we have to link in and work together with everyone active(ly) in the city. By doing so, we can create an added value to environment, ecology, economy and society,” he said.