ICE provides world class training for civil engineers looking to develop their skill set. As such, RCP is unusual in climate change adaptation policy in that it not only aims to prevent the damaging affects climate change might have on Rotterdam, but also stresses the benefits such measures can have on the attractiveness of the city and the potential for economic benefits, such as developing a thriving research and climate-adaptation technology sector. The city is in the top ten ranking for most vulnerable cities. When empty, the Water Square basin can be used for sports, like skateboarding. Rotterdam's population has increased relatively slowly, with a growth of around 6% over the past two decades. ", Still, despite all the innovative sponging and water storage, Rotterdam's residents aren't fully protected against floods. For these reasons, and following the recommendation of the City of Rotterdam's International Advisory Board, the city needed to address climate change, and set up the Rotterdam Climate Initiative (RCI) in 2007. The weather overall has been bizarre: one moment it is sunny and warm, the next, it’s hailing. ", As Rotterdam's chief water engineer, Daniel Goedbloed is charged with trying to bridge the gap between public and private storm preparedness. Generally, people do not have air-conditioning in Rotterdam, and during the hot streak, even tap water in homes ran warm. The UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 (2 – 13 December 2019) took place under the Presidency of the Government of Chile and will be held with logistical support from the Government of Spain. ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands — Record heat waves have crippled a number of cities this summer, one most visibly the Netherlands’ second largest, Rotterdam. Experts point to climate change. ater plazas, green walls, floating neighbourhoods. The Rotterdam municipality covers an area of 326km2 and has a population density of 7,690/km2. In addition, all spatial development will "structurally take into account the long-term, foreseeable climate change…and is also a pre-requisite for achieving the city's more wide-reaching aims". These are informed by the Delta Program, a national programme involving central and local government, water boards and social organisations, and Knowledge for Climate - an academic research programme run by Wageningen University and the University of Utrecht. A recent study looking at climate change in land-use planning in Rotterdam concluded the concept of resilience had only lately begun to feature in policy-making. "Of course it won't just be Dutch companies getting the contracts", he acknowledges. Mitigation is mostly related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which means local governments simply do not have the necessary reach to have any real correcting effect. Climate scientists focus on cities partly because they are growing quickly; by 2050, some demographers predict, about 80 percent of the world’s population will be urban. This is perhaps because, as some commentators have argued, gaining public and politicians' support for adaptation measures is easier, particularly in a small country such as the Netherlands where even drastic domestic changes would have little impact on global climate change. It''s a decision which, in part, is attributed to a discerned lack of interest stemming from the ubiquity of flood prevention measures in Rotterdam. Climate change, including enhanced sea level rise may seriously impact the structure, functions and biodiversity of the Wadden Sea ecosystem, as well as the safety of its inhabitants. Rotterdam's plan to reduce carbon emissions is based on three areas - energy efficiency, sustainable energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS). This follows the warmest-ever June on record. Surrounded by water on four sides, this delta city of some 600,000 people can't flush the sudden stormwater away. As with the preceding RCP document and programme, there was little, if any, public involvement in drawing up the adaptation strategy. The priority for outer-dike areas of the city is to 'build with nature', providing flood protection including 'flood-proof' buildings and public areas, and floating buildings. "That will become the blueprint for the future," he says. Cities have so little space that they've no choice but to make their limited area climate change-proof, he adds. Summary. Particularly in a field such as climate change adaptation, where there are many shifting unknowns, having an inspiring goal can be galvanising and motivating. It would be more useful if the RCI defined metrics across the six objective areas to allow clear assessment of progress – doing so would also make it easier to see when lessons can be learned and best practice developed and disseminated and, therefore, help to meet cross-cutting knowledge, action and marketing communication themes. Do you or your company have a project you'd like to share with civil engineers from across the globe? Here, there are many innovative developments both in flood defence and 'working with nature'. Aboutaleb, Rotterdam’s mayor, knows intimately the impact it is having on his city. But city officials point out that the only alternative is to seal off certain neighborhoods during storms – and in such a densely populated city, that's not a realistic option. Located near to the coast, its climate is slightly milder than locations further inland. The goal is to “raise ambition and increase climate action” as countries agreed to do in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. ", New Orleans has paid Arcadis a $200m consulting fee, and Dircke predicts large contracts as booming cities in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America develop comprehensive adaptation strategies. While progress in reducing emissions is currently negative, RCI maintains this cycle was expected and they remain on-target for 2025. "Streets will inevitably flood, so we have to make sure that houses don't flood along with them," he explains "It's a tricky issue, because as a municipality we have power over the public domain, but we have to get companies and residents to work with us on adapting houses.". Nevertheless, there remains a certain vagueness, or at least a lack of dissemination. Experts point to climate change. As a result, there is a greater likelihood of damage and economic losses if flooding were to occur than for many coastal cities. Cities will be a major focus of the daylong UN meeting, at which national leaders are expected to attend, concentrating on mitigation and resilience, particularly “new commitments on low-emission buildings, mass transport and urban infrastructure; and resilience for the urban poor,” the UN notes. The 2007 Programme on Climate Adaptation and Spatial Planning outlined the importance of climate-proofing for the Netherlands, noting that "climate change cannot be prevented, even with all the good intentions in the world…the space in the Netherlands must be adapted such that the effects of climate change are 'acceptable'". by Jeroen Spangenberg. Can climate change adaptation overtake Erasmus as Rotterdam's number one claim to fame? 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