News

Dams are essential for flood protection, water resources management, energy, and food security. However, their failure can lead to devastating consequences, as recent disasters have demonstrated. A new study, published in Nature Water by researchers from Deltares, IHE Delft, and Imperial College London, presents a detailed global analysis of dam failure probability from 1900 until present. This work unveils key factors behind the evolution of large dams’ failures and offers insights into future trends.

YES!Delft and Deltares have taken a significant step towards accelerating technological innovation by signing a strategic partnership agreement. This collaboration opens up exciting new opportunities for startups and promises to drive innovation forward at an unprecedented pace.

A new study by Deltares sheds light on the role of ‘living with water’ (in Dutch: Meebewegen) as a strategy for climate adaptation in the Netherlands. Although we are known worldwide for our advanced flood defences, we will be increasingly confronted with the challenges of sea level rise, extreme rainfall and water shortages. This study examines the views of different experts about the feasibility and desirability of the ‘living with water’ strategy in Dutch water management in the future. The results of the study were presented this week in the journal Environmental Research: Climate.

There are thousands of traditional groynes in Dutch rivers. They are essential to keep waterways navigable and manage river ice. However, maintenance work on these groynes is costly and time-consuming. In a unique alliance between the government, private parties and knowledge institutes, including Deltares, an innovative alternative has been developed: the flexible groyne.

Last year, we published a set of future scenarios for the Netherlands, focussing on issues relating to the health of people, animals and the environment, often collectively referred to as ‘One Health’. Now we have created future land use maps for each of these scenarios for 2050, enabling us to model future health risks.

To make Nature-based Solutions easier to apply, Witteveen+Bos and Deltares are jointly developing a tool. It allows natural solutions to be integrated into hydrological models and to quickly see their impact on river basins under different climate scenarios. This improves designs of Nature-based Solutions, supports co-creation processes and helps informed decision-making on water management and climate adaptation.

The major rivers that flow through the Netherlands have a significant impact on our nature, culture, economy, and food and water supplies. To quantify the effects of our river and floodplain management on these so-called ecosystem services, a broader assessment framework has been developed by Sien Kok, a researcher at Deltares and WUR. She did this as part of her doctoral research through the European project MERLIN, which promotes the restoration of rivers.

In a world where extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, understanding the link between meteorological events and their societal consequences is crucial. A new thesis, of Deltares expert Henrique Moreno Dumont Goulart, delves into the emerging method of storylines—narratives that connect past climate events with their causes, impacts, and future alternatives under various plausible scenarios.

The Eastern Scheldt Barrier protects large parts of Zeeland from high water levels since its inauguration in 1986. The barrier closes once a year on average during a heavy storm to protect Zeeland from flooding. After more than 35 years of use, some parts of the barrier need to be renovated or eventually replaced. Deltares, commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat, is carrying out scale model tests to accurately map the hydrodynamic loads on individual parts of the barrier.

The European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), up to 5 metres long and 400 kg heavy, once swam everywhere in north-western Europe. Due to overfishing, dams and pollution, this primordial fish almost became extinct. In the 1990s, it was saved by a French breeding programme and it is now being investigated whether the sturgeon can return to the Rhine. Information on the main habitats and migration routes is very important for this. In new research led by Sportvisserij Nederland and Wageningen University, Deltares is using the D-Eco Impact tool, which will help put the puzzle together as to whether reintroduction is feasible.

Deltares was honoured to welcome the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. The President and the King visited our Delft campus as part of the Portuguese state visit to the Netherlands. Accompanied by a delegation of Portuguese Members of Parliament and businesses, they received a demonstration of our unique experimental facilities and learned more about the sustainable innovations Deltares works on to ensure oceans remain healthy.

The Netherlands regularly deepens and widens canals to keep them navigable. To do this work well, we need to know more about the interaction between the canals and the subsurface. In the coming period, Deltares will be studying the subsurface of both the Juliana Canal and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal for Rijkswaterstaat.