ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 ANNUAL Deltares P.O. Box 177 2600 MH Delft The Netherlands DELTARES 2012 T +31 (0)88 335 8273 [email protected] Annual Review www.deltares.nl Follow Deltares www.twitter.com/deltares www.linkedin.com/company/217430 Omslag_buiten_en.indd 1 15-04-13 13:57 DELTARES credits DELTARES, APRIL 2013 A great deal of care has gone into the production of this publication. Use of the texts or parts thereof is permitted on condition that the source is quoted. Re-use of the infor- Our mission mation shall be for the responsibility of the user. ADDRESS Developing and applying top-level expertise Deltares P.O. Box 177 in the field of water, subsurface and 2600 MH Delft www.deltares.nl infrastructure for people, environment and society. Deltares is thereby independent, EDITING Deltares communications department sets high demands on the quality of the [email protected] knowledge and advice and works closely IMAGES with governments, businesses and research Deltares, cover, pages 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, institutes at home and abroad. At Deltares, 21, 23, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 54, 55, 56 Dirk Hol, pages 3, 6, 10, 11, 14, 18, 20, 22, 26, 30, knowledge is the key. 32/33, 47, 48, 49, 50, 56 Ewout Staartjes, pages 14, 22, 28 Hans Roode, page 25 Mennobart van Eerden, Rijkswaterstaat, page 24 Rijkswaterstaat, page 8 Stichting Noordzee, page 13 The photos on pages 6, 10, 18, 26, 32/33, 47 and 49 were taken in the Deltares Facilities Hall in Delft. DESIGN ttwwoo | creative design agency Amsterdam [email protected] PRINTED BY Koninklijke BDU Grafisch Bedrijf B.V. omslag_binnen_en.indd 1 15-04-13 15:18 content 02 PREFACE 04 PROJECTS Flood risk Sustainable delta planning 06 Investing in dike monitoring 22 Delta scenarios get to grips with 08 Short messages uncertain future 24 Short messages Ecosystems and environmental quality 10 Rising interest in ‘Building with Nature’ Software 12 Short messages 26 Better decisions with new hydro software Water and subsoil resources 28 Short messages 14 Deltamodel supports policy decisions in water management Facilities 16 Short messages 30 Atlantic Basin, Scheldt flume, Delta Basin, Water soil flume Delta infrastructure 31 Delta flume, Model hall 18 JIPs improve competitive position 20 Short messages 32 SHARING KNOWLEDGE 34 Visits 38 Conferences/Training 36 Alliances 40 Publications 42 ORGANISATION 44 Explanatory note to figures/Income 50 Huib de Vriend: ‘Delta problems are an statement intellectual challenge’ 45 Revenue distribution/Balance sheet 51 Staff 46 Supervisory Board/Advisory Board 53 Awards 47 Scientific Council 54 Doctorates/Professorships 48 Maarten Smits: ‘Enhancing knowledge is 56 New building always the guiding principle’ 49 Harry Baayen: ‘At the service of governement and business’ Annual Review 2012 3 DELTARES preface WELL ON COURSE 2012 was a good year for Deltares. In the Netherlands and internationally, hundreds of projects were completed, contributing to the fulfilment of our mission: the develop- ment and application of advanced knowledge relating to water, subsurface and infra- structure. The volume of sales in the Netherlands fell off slightly but this was offset by a rise in activities in other countries. This means that our ambition to be recognised and acknowledged as a top institute both nationally and internationally is well on course. FIVE THEMES At Deltares, knowledge development focuses on five themes: flood risk, ecosystems and environmental quality, water and subsoil resources, delta infrastructure and sustainable delta planning. The aim is to promote safe and healthy life in deltas, coastal regions and river basins, now and in the future. And that is urgently needed. Because these are appealing areas to live and work in but, at the same time, they are the areas that are the most vulnerable to the conse- quences of sea level rise, falling land levels and erratic rainfall. Traditional solutions are no longer adequate to tackle the problems. New technologies and innovative solutions need to be developed to keep these areas habitable. SOCIETY In 2012, Deltares contributed to many innovations. We have highlighted a number of them in this annual review. They vary widely in terms of nature and size but they are all responses to questions affecting society. For example, a much-improved model was developed for the quantification of falling land levels. It can calculate the fall in the land level for a larger area such as a city or a delta. It was used in 2012 in Jakarta, and New Orleans will also be using it to map out the problems it faces with falling land levels. This makes it possible to establish a better picture of which interventions are effective, and which aren’t. There was also a strong emphasis on improving water quality. The study of the spread of microplastics and the harmful effects on the food chain, for example, got off to a good start. Microplastic waste may be inflicting severe damage on the smallest organisms at the bottom of the food chain. This can affect the productivity of the entire ecosystem. So a clear picture of the extent of, and the damage inflicted by, the microplastics problem is urgently needed to tackle it effectively in the future. The partners of Deltares in this study include the Institute of Environmental Studies of VU University Amsterdam. The aim of the Delta Programme is to ensure that the Netherlands will be protected over the next century against ongoing rises in water levels and that we continue to have adequate supplies of fresh water. Planning policy for a period of time as long as this is a major challenge because of the considerable uncertainties involved. As support for the policy decisions to be taken in 2015, Deltares delivered a number of 02 From left to right: Ron Thiemann, Maarten Smits and Erik Janse. instruments in 2012, such as the Delta Model and the four Delta Scenarios. They can be used to calculate the impact of possible policy strategies and the bandwidth for future uncertainties, and to develop flexible policy strategies. ORGANISATION There were a number of major changes in the organisation in 2012. In December, Harry Baayen resigned as managing director, a job he had occupied since Deltares was established in 2008. His position has been taken over by Maarten Smits. We also took leave of Huib de Vriend, our Scientific Director, who retired in May. His work was taken over by the Scientific Council, which now has a stronger position in the management. In 2012, work started on the building of new offices, both in Delft and Utrecht. Once the new offices are ready, all the staff will be working at one of the two loca- tions. Work also started on the building of the new Delta flume in Delft. It will replace the current facility in the North-East Polder and will make a wider range of testing possible. STAFF Knowledge is the Deltares core business. So we are proud of the fact that the second Knowledge Position Audit, which was conducted in 2012, resulted in a positive assessment. The aim of the audit was to arrive at an independent assessment of our knowledge level and to determine whether it matches international expectations. The committee of international scientists was very enthusiastic about the Deltares knowledge position and described the organisation as ‘a gold mine’. The committee was also very enthusiastic about our open source strategy. Our workforce of more than 800 employees is the basis for our knowledge. They are experts who are often at the forefront of their fields. But they are, above all, socially committed people with a drive to apply their knowledge to problems in delta areas throughout the world. That makes them special and valuable. Their drive and inquisi- tiveness keep Deltares on the move and allow us to fulfil our mission. Deltares board of directors Annual Review 2012 03 Flood risk Ecosystems and environmental quality Water and subsoil resources Delta infrastructure Sustainable delta planning Software Facilities 04 Projects The many projects in which Deltares participated in 2012 have helped to deepen and extend our knowledge base. We have selected and described some of them here. Together, they constitute a good picture of the five themes that guide our knowledge development. Annual Review 2012 05 PROJECTS flood risk INVESTING IN DIKE MONITORING Goaitske de Vries: ‘In critical situations, it is very important for everybody to look at the dikes in the same way and to know what is a cause for alarm.’ There is no other country in the world that has been thinking for so long about dikes as the Netherlands. The knowledge about dike designs, failure mechanisms and management and maintenance has been under development for centu- ries. All that knowledge comes together in dike monitoring. Mon itoring activities are intensified considerably when there is a flood threat, for example when water levels are high or during other emergencies. At times like this, dike inspectors monitor dikes non-stop, watching out for any irregularities. Even when there is a minor anomaly, they need to make a fast assessment of how serious the situation is and whether steps Dike inspectors play an important role need to be taken. in flood protection. Particularly in diffi- That is quite a challenge. So dike inspectors have to be trained to recognise the early signs of dike failure. A few years ago, cult weather conditions, such as storms, Deltares developed a special course for them: the ‘Dike Patrol’. The course is backed up by the serious game of the severe rainfall or extreme drought. At same name. In 2012, more than 1000 Dutch dike inspectors these times, they are constantly inspect- completed the course.