Story overview

How can we achieve global coverage and locally relevant coastal wave estimates? Deltares experts Fedor Baart, Martin Verlaan, Guus van Hemert and former Deltares expert Anna van Gils utilised new technologies to develop a coastal wave emulator. In this blog Fedor Baart explains about the development of this simulator.

It is time for groundwater to become more visible. The invisible underground ‘water towers’ beneath our feet contain 100 times more freshwater than the volume of surface water on the continents. But this groundwater is under pressure due to unsustainable use, salinisation and pollution. We all depend on this fresh groundwater: for nature, for drinking and eating, and for our economy. The transitions required, such as the water, energy and agricultural transitions, mean we need to make responsible decisions about the use of water and space, and that includes the subsurface. In this groundwater year, we are eager to make the urgency of these issues, our intended social impact and groundwater expertise visible. Allow us to give three examples.

Droughts are among the most far-reaching and yet some of the most elusive natural hazards to nature as well as to mankind. In recent years, countries around the world have been severely impacted by droughts that affect food supply, agricultural income, employment opportunities, drinking water facilities and energy production.

Roshanka Ranasinghe, Senior Specialist Deltares and IHE Delft’s Professor of Climate Change Impacts & Coastal Risk, contributed to the latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was released earlier this month. He explains here why the world needs to act NOW to adapt and to avoid runaway climatic change.

What is the groundwater level on your land? Groundwater levels that are too high or too low can cause damage. Using the instructions below, you can measure the groundwater level yourself and discover how this level changes due to factors like rain, drought or building work in your area.

The peak discharge of the Meuse in early 2023 was the highest discharge measured since records began in july 2021. The second and third highest discharges were in January 1926 and December 1993, when the peaks were in the same order of magnitude (between 3000 m3/s and 3300 m3/s). An overview of frequently asked questions and answers can be found below

The Middle-East has specific water-energy-food challenges. Most Middle East countries are water scarce but have abundant fossil fuel reserves (e.g. Gulf Cooperation Council countries) and solar energy potential. Moreover, energy prices are often subsidized while the region has the world’s lowest water tariffs and the highest GDP spent on public water services (World Bank, 2017).

Floods and drought are some of the most tangible and devastating consequences of climate change. Deltares and The World Bank organised a session during the Stockholm International Water Week titled 'Managing Floods and Drought: The Governance Challenges'. The session aimed at presenting a new framework, referred to as the EPIC Response, for the combined management of floods and drought.

Climate change is expected to have major consequences for the availability and quality of water, and lead to more intense and frequent natural disasters. The impact on people with little capacity to adapt will be disastrous. The CAS side-event ‘For people’s sake’ showed that inclusiveness is essential in climate change adaptation investments to establishing a more equal society. The importance of social inclusion is increasingly acknowledged, but making the concept tangible in the field is considered challenging.

There are no fewer than 54 cities worldwide with a high risk of drought. Our solution? Knowledge about water systems and good governance. Read more about this in this blog by groundwater expert Dimmie Hendriks.

Real-time flood forecasting is one of the most effective flood risk management measures. Indeed, many governments operate bespoke hydrological forecasting services that continuously monitor and forecast coastal and fluvial water levels.