Summer 2009 - Royal Haskoning

ange 2
Royal Haskoning newsletter > uk & ireland > issue 2 > summer 2009
Royal Haskoning is an independent engineering and environment consultancy with 4,300 staff operating in 20 countries
worldwide. Undertaking a wide range of high profi le, demanding projects, we have developed a reputation for technical
excellence, innovation and project delivery. We are committed to delivering practical solutions to sensitive issues that
benefi t both people and their environment.
>> in this issue
2 Royal Haskoning
talks Flood & Water
Management
3 Kelpies come to Forth
& Clyde
4–5 SPECIAL FEATURE
Tourism in the UK
6 Award success for climate
study
7 Ingenuity saves the day
9 A new island for Nigeria
Water Bill set to fulfil flood
review recommendations
Sir Michael Pitt’s review of the floods that took place during the summer of 2007 called for urgent and fundamental
changes in the way the UK is adapting to the increased risk of flooding. Following the review the government
published its draft Flood and Water Management Bill for consultation on 21 April 2009.
Setting out the government’s proposals
to improve flood risk management and
ensure water supplies are more secure,
the draft bill paves the way for the
changes Sir Michael outlined.
When passed, the bill will create a
more inclusive system for managing
the risk of flood and coastal erosion.
For the first time, the law will cover
all forms of flooding and change the
emphasis from building defences, to
risk management. The bill requires
councils to work with all relevant
parties to put in place local surface
water management plans. As part of
this, they will agree which risks are the
most pressing and what work needs
to be done to bring about a healthier
environment, better service, and
greater protection for people, their
communities and businesses.
The bill aims to bring the following
benefits:
l deliver improved security, service
and sustainability
l clarify who is responsible for
managing the various sources of
flood risk at national and local levels
l retain existing roles and
responsibilities of delivery
organisations where possible, to
ensure continued engagement of
local knowledge and expertise
l promote local partnerships,
requiring all bodies to cooperate and
share information with each other
l protect essential water supplies
by enabling water companies to
control more ‘non-essential’ uses of
water during droughts
l modernise the law for managing the
safety of reservoirs, and
l encourage more sustainable forms
of drainage in new developments
and make it easier to resolve
misconnections to sewers
In summary, the bill aims to:
l reduce the likelihood and impact of
all types of flooding
l improve authorities ability to
manage the risk of flooding
l improve water quality
l improve the overall efficiency and
management of the industry
l reduce pollution
What it means and who is
impacted?
The draft bill proposes to give the
Environment Agency a strategic role
that will enable it to coordinate maps
and plans in relation to the sea, main
rivers and reservoirs and award it the
same powers as councils to carry out
coastal erosion works.
Creating committees
New regional flood and coastal
committees will be created to advise
the Environment Agency and local
authorities on flood and coastal
erosion. They will raise a levy to pay for
priority work, where national funding
does not exist.
More responsibility for local
authorities
Local authorities will lead on local
flood risk management. This means
that other bodies, such as internal
drainage boards, water companies and
emergency services will be required
to co-operate and share information
with them.
Local authorities will be responsible for
local flood risk assessment, mapping
and planning for ordinary watercourses,
surface run-off and groundwater.
They will lead the production of local
surface water management plans
and agree programmes of work. New
responsibilities include drainage, which
will require mapping local flood risk
management assets and documenting
who owns them, so any local problems
that occur can be resolved. Finally, they
will take a leading role in planning
for the management of any flooding,
including that from reservoirs.
Updated powers for drainage
boards
Drainage boards will have updated
powers to manage the risk of flood
and coastal erosion in line with local
and national strategies. They will play
a key role in partnerships, led by local
authorities, who will be able to delegate
work to them, making the most
effective use of resources available.
More SuDS
The use of Sustainable Urban Drainage
Systems (SuDS) will increase, ending
the automatic right to connect to
sewers for surface water drainage.
Developers will be required to install
NEWS
New appointment for
Coastal & Rivers
Royal Haskoning is delighted to
announce the appointment of Sarah
Budd as Director of Coastal & Rivers. In
her new role, Sarah will be responsible
for shaping the development of
the company’s future portfolio of
business including its core products
and services, client relationships
and developing UK and overseas
opportunities.
Sarah joined Royal Haskoning as a
graduate hydrologist and hydraulic
engineer in 1994. With more than 15
years experience in the industry, she
has developed a technical background
in flood and coastal risk management
and has held both project director
and management roles on a number
of contracts commissioned under
long term partnering arrangements
with both government and private
organisations.
Henry Rowe, member of
Royal Haskoning’s Board of
Management said; “We are delighted
to appoint Sarah to this senior role.
The work Sarah has carried out since
joining Royal Haskoning, particularly
in her two previous roles as Deputy
Divisional Director and Business
Group Director, means she has secured
a number of high profile partnerships
and contracts for the company. We
congratulate Sarah and look forward
to her continued success as Director of
the Coastal & Rivers division.”
In addition to her work at
Royal Haskoning, Sarah takes an
active role in CIWEM, the Chartered
Institution of Water and Environmental
Management. She is a chartered member
of the Institution and was formerly a
council member and the chairman of
the Rivers and Coastal Group.
SuDS in new developments wherever
practicable. New SuDS will be adopted
and maintained by local authorities
and will be funded by the transfer
of responsibility for private sewers to
sewerage companies.
Preserving reservoirs –
protecting lives
New arrangements surrounding the
safety of reservoirs will be introduced,
prioritising reservoirs that may present
risk to human life. The Environment
Agency will use inundation maps to
determine reservoirs that pose a risk
to surrounding communities, which
will then be subject to greater safety
regulation. CONTINUES

2
ROYAL HASKONING’S VIEW
Amy Savage, Senior Engineer within
Coastal & Rivers, comments on the
draft bill and explains some ways in
which those involved will need to
adapt if real improvements are to be
made.
“The technical challenges in relation
to providing improved flood risk
assessments and mapping for all
sources of flood risk are multiple and
will involve local authorities and the
Environment Agency moving into
unfamiliar territory. One example is
the modelling of pluvial, surface water
and groundwater flooding. There will
also need to be significant changes in
the way the various parties involved
in the management of flood risk
communicate and share information.”
Areas of greatest risk
“The Pitt Review recognised that
the greatest need for advances in
understanding and reducing the risk
of flooding and its impact are in those
areas that pose the greatest risk. In
particular, significant depth and
high velocity flooding and flooding
resulting from multiple events. The
mapping of flood hazards is also a
requirement of the new European
Floods Directive. Royal Haskoning has
already undertaken a number of studies
on behalf of both the Environment
Agency and local authorities, which
have used TUFLOW 2D numerical
modelling to identify localised flood
depths and velocities. Challenges to
improving this assessment process
include developing understanding and
building trust in the capabilities of such
models, and in obtaining sufficient
computer processing capacity to run
more complex models.”
Surface water flooding
“Surface water flooding is complex,
with issues such as unclear asset
ownership and the influence of
groundwater. In developing surface
water flood maps, the Environment
Agency, local authorities and their
consultants will need to take care to
avoid giving the impression of greater
certainty in the mapping than there
actually is. Without major investment
in data collection, significant
assumptions will have to be made, such
as individual property threshold levels
and the actual level of sewers. A further
constraint could be obtaining asset
information from the water companies,
who understandably have to protect
their commercial interests. This issue
should benefit from the development
of the Environment Agency’s strategic
overview role for all sources of flood
risk, as well as the requirement of the
Flood and Water Management bill for
the sharing of information.”
Flood warning for urban areas
“The Pitt Review identified a need
for earlier warnings of flooding with
a low probability threshold, and for
real-time mapping and visualisation
tools for use by emergency planners
and responders. The development of
flood warning techniques and systems
to achieve a very quick warning system
for surface water flooding in urban
areas will be a difficult challenge, and
clearly an important area of focus for
the Environment Agency.
Academic research into techniques
such as weather radar as a rapid
assessment tool for the prediction of
rainfall, rather than just measuring
current rainfall is ongoing. Modelling
software is improving to enable
rapid simulations of very responsive
catchments to simulate events such
as occurred at Boscastle in 2004.
Technology is also developing to allow
better use of multi core computer
processors and advanced modelling
procedures such as neural networks,
which self learn from previous
conditions, to speed up simulations.
“The automation of existing flood
forecasting and warning processes
and the improvement of logistics for
obtaining and processing data will
need further investment. Equipment
such as rain gauges, weather radar,
telemetry and computing facilities
are required, as well as training of
personnel to operate and maintain
the systems. A register of flood risk
management and drainage assets
would also aid the development of
improved flood warning systems, but
there is a huge volume of this data.
“Apart from the development of the
actual warning techniques there
will be a big learning curve for other
parties to learn how to best use the
information and disseminate it to the
public. So flood forecasting, warning
and response must be considered
as complete process, with systems
integrated to aid understanding by
all involved. Royal Haskoning has
experience in taking such an integrated
approach through our involvement in
the EU-funded project NOAH, which
has developed processes and tools to
enable the right information to be
made available quickly, clearly and
reliably before, during and after a
flood event.”
Reservoir safety
“Work to identify potential flood
inundation maps is already ongoing.
b i o g r a p h i e s
All our experts bring a wealth of experience to the projects they work on. Below is a quick look at the level of expertise
you can expect from our Coastal & Rivers specialists.
Matt Balkham
Matt Balkham is a chartered Senior
Engineer, a Member of the Institution
of Civil Engineers (ICE) and is currently
leading a team of engineers and
scientists undertaking a variety of
flood risk related projects.
Matt has six years’ experience of
delivering flood risk management
schemes in England and Scotland for
the Environment Agency, the Moray
Council and others.
Matt is currently managing a number
of projects, which include:
l an update of the Culvert Design
Manual on behalf of the
Construction Industry Research
Information Association;
l a study exploring the feasibility of
construction of a new lock within
the Nar Ouse Regeneration Area for
the Environment Agency and
l a flood risk management scheme
for Steeple Bumpstead and the
Environment Agency in Essex.
Contact:
Matt Balkham
+44 (0) 1733 33 6513
m.balkham@royalhaskoning.com
Carina Oliver
Carina is an Associate Member of the
Institute of Ecology and Environmental
Management (AIEMA). She has
expertise in the fields of terrestrial
and aquatic ecology, environmental
input to design, Environmental Impact
Assessments (EIA), protected species
legislation, sustainability assessments
and environmental surveys.
Carina has over seven years’
experience in undertaking EIAs and
working on river engineering projects
within multidisciplinary design teams.
Carina is currently responsible for the
management and co-ordination of
environmental work on several flood
alleviation schemes within Scotland
and England where she successfully
implemented channel restoration
and habitat creation, such as wet
woodland and wetland development
as part of these schemes.
She has experience in consultation
with a diverse range of stakeholders,
from local community workshops and
public meetings to formal consultation
processes with statutory consultees
and government agencies.
Contact:
Carina Oliver
+44 (0) 1733 37 3573
c.oliver@royalhaskoning.com
Dr Mike Walkden
Mike specialises in the effects of
climate change on the coast. He is
a member of the International
Association of Hydraulic Engineering
and Research (IAHR) working group
on climate change and before joining
Royal Haskoning, was deputy leader of
the Coastal Programme of the Tyndall
Centre for Climate Change Research.
Since graduating in 1992, Mike has
worked on various projects relating
to broad scale coastal modelling,
long-term cliff erosion, probabilistic
analysis and uncertainty.
Recently he has worked on a Defra/
Environment Agency funded
project aimed at developing broad
scale coastal modelling capacity to
support coastal management. This
work focussed on the Behavioural
Systems approach to interpreting
and representing coastal systems
which builds models based on the
understanding of geomorphologists
(as opposed to mathematicians).
In this project, he explored how
geomorphic understanding could
be formalised and quantified. He
also coupled broad scale models of
an open coast and an estuary, to
explore their coupled response to
climate change and management
interventions.
Contact:
Mike Walkden
+44 (0) 1392 44 1395
m.walkden@royalhaskoning.com
The Environment Agency’s Reservoir
Inundation Mapping strategy is
assessing the hazard from dam
failure at all 2092 of the registered
reservoirs in England and Wales.
Royal Haskoning has been appointed
by the Environment Agency to model
and map the inundation from more
than 240 reservoirs across the whole
of Wales and the south and southwest
of England.”
Climate change uncertainty
“A key issue for the future management
of flood risk will be dealing with
uncertainties introduced by climate
change. The UKCP09 climate change
scenarios will be available later this
year, and it will be important to
quickly get to grips with using and
applying this data. An improved
understanding of climate and weather
related information will benefit from
the Environment Agency and its
consultants working more closely with
the UK Met Office, and particularly from
the Environment Agency and the Met
Office’s new joint Flood Forecasting
Centre for England and Wales. In the
past Royal Haskoning worked with the
Met Office to investigate a method
to redress the lack of institutional
and operational arrangements to
manage pluvial flooding. The aim of
the ground breaking project was to
provide local authorities with the tools
to make informed decisions on actions
to reduce the impact of pluvial flood
events. More collaborative projects like
this, which develop best practice, will
help to meet the requirements of the
Flood and Water Management bill.”
Providing information
“The Flood and Water Bill requires
improvements to be made to
information provided by the various
parties involved in the flood risk
management process. For flood risk
maps to deliver improved planning,
greater detail will need to be included
in the maps. This information will
also be relevant for the development
of local surface water management
plans, for emergency planning and
development of resilience of transport
and other critical infrastructure and to
educate the public.”
Working together
“Collaborative working with other
organisations will enable the best
data to be obtained, cooperation to
be achieved and savings made on
costs and programmes for flood risk
management projects. For example,
organisations involved in flood risk
management should work together to
improve each other’s understanding
of the different sources of flooding
and their interactions, including the
benefits and limitations of the various
modelling techniques available and
how the model outputs should be
interpreted and applied. A challenge
will be to maintain the responsibility
structure between organisations,
whilst achieving cooperation. The
partnering commitment from the
Environment Agency, local authorities,
IDBs and water companies should
therefore extend to relationships with
the wider community, stakeholders
and other operating authorities.
“Collaborative working with
other organisations will
enable the best data to be
obtained, cooperation to be
achieved and savings made
on costs and programmes
for flood risk management
projects”
range > summer 2009
For further information on how
Royal Haskoning will be working with
the new Flood and Water Management
Bill, contact:
Amy Savage
+44 (0) 1733 33 6522
a.savage@royalhaskoning.com
NEWS
Board of Management
welcomes new member
Royal Haskoning is delighted to
announce that Erik Oostwegel,
Director of Industrial Installations,
has been promoted to the company’s
board of management to lead the
business alongside Chairman Jan Bout
and Director Henry Rowe.
Erik joined Royal Haskoning in 1992 and
became a member of the Management
Council in 2003. The driving force
behind the successful development
of the Industrial Installations division,
Erik holds a strong position within the
engineering industry.
After completing his masters’ degree
in mechanical engineering at the Delft
University of Technology, Erik has held
various positions in Royal Haskoning,
including Director of Knowledge
Information Management in 2003,
Director of Mechanical & Electrical
Services in 2004 and his current role
of Director of Industrial installations,
to which he was appointed in 2006.
Commenting on his appointment, Erik
said: “I consider it a great honour to be
appointed to this new role. It certainly
is a great challenge, not least given
that the current economic climate
requires our full attention, to ensure
that the continuity and profitability of
the organisation is maintained.”
For the time being, Erik will combine
both board management and director
roles.
Erik Oostwegel was appointed to the
Board of Management on 1 May 2009.

summer 2009 > range 3
Landmark lottery
lifts Scottish spirits
Combining modern maritime engineering with Scottish myth and legend, three divisions of Royal Haskoning have
teamed up to help win a £25 million Big Lottery fund award that will transform 300ha of unused land between Falkirk
and Grangemouth into a thriving sustainable community.
Royal Haskoning’s Maritime,
Environment and Coastal & Rivers
divisions have pooled their skills and
expertise to win the engineering and
environmental design package of the
ambitious Helix project.
The project, which is part of the
‘My Future’s In Falkirk’ economic
regeneration initiative, has been
commissioned by Falkirk Council,
British Waterways and Central
Scotland Forest Trust.
Once completed, the Helix will
provide access to woodland, paths,
cycle ways and water features,
reconnect the Forth and Clyde Canal
to the Forth estuary, develop waterbased
activities, create major public
artworks and landmarks and develop
a sustainable environment.
Commenting on Royal Haskoning’s
involvement, Environment Director for
Scotland Frank Fortune said: “This is
one of the most exciting initiatives
we are working on, as it involves the
complete transformation of an unused
area into a thriving environmental
community. We have been involved
in the project from the beginning,
carrying out the early environmental
“Self sufficient, sustainable eco
friendly buildings are no longer just
the wish of some environmentally
conscious ‘green clients’, they
have become the mainstream
requirement for most buildings or
developments”, says Garry.
“The main drivers towards eco
building within the UK have been
updated building regulations, local
planning requirements and the need
for our clients to achieve a recognised
environmental building rating
through the BRE Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM). This
is the widely recognised standard for
best practice for sustainable design
within the UK.
“To address these issues, we have
gained significant expertise,
achieved mainly through increased
training, software investment and
project implementation. The training
has led to our engineers becoming
feasibility work needed to support the
application for Big Lottery funding.”
Royal Haskoning Project Manager for
the Helix, Mike Ramsay, added: “Now
the project has the Lottery go-ahead,
we can get to work. Our part in the
project involves providing engineering
and environmental consultancy across
the scheme, involving the delivery of a
new canal, locks, bridges, roads flood
risk assessments, geotechnical and
environmental engineering, river and
canal hydrology and environmental
impact.
“One of the key pieces of work we
will be engaged in, and probably the
most exciting, is the engineering
design for the canal extension which
incorporates a new displacement
lock and the foundations for two
30m tall Kelpie heads. These gigantic
horse’s heads will form part of the
counterweight mechanism for the
displacement lock that will lift boats
up to the existing Forth and Clyde canal
entrance. This has already been referred
to as an engineering marvel and the
Kelpies alone are expected to attract
international visitors, which will provide
a major boost to the local economy.”
Work on the Helix will start in late
2009 and will progress over three
distinct phases, spanning a 10-15 year
period. Overall the project will cost in
the region of £45 million.
Fact File
The Kelpie sculptures are based
on the mythical Scottish legend
of water-based horse spirits.
Designed by Scottish sculptor
Andy Scott, the 30m sculptures
will have a working role as
a part of the canal’s new boat
lift, situated at the entrance to
the Forth and Clyde canal. The
final Kelpies are expected to be
installed sometime in 2011 and
will each weigh around 400
tonnes.
Contact:
Mike Ramsay
+44 (0) 131 5612 284
m.ramsay@royalhaskoning.com
Greener foundations
A down to earth approach to eco buildings
With the impact of European Directives (EPBD) and UK Legislation over
the last few years, the move towards providing green, or ‘eco’ buildings
has increased significantly. Garry Haigh, Royal Haskoning’s M&E services
Director for Infrastructure & Buildings, explains the steps the company has
taken to become a leading eco building consultancy and its approach to
achieving green building solutions.
accredited ‘Low Carbon Consultants’
through the Chartered Institution of
Building Services Engineers, plus we
have accredited BREEAM assessors
in various categories. The intention
is to increase this knowledge and
experience over the forthcoming
months through further training and
project delivery experience.”
So how does Royal Haskoning
approach an eco building project?
According to Garry the first issue
that must be recognised is that to
achieve a ‘green’ building solution, it
is a fundamental requirement that the
design process is fully integrated and
therefore incumbent on all members
of the team to contribute.
“When considering the main
influences of providing a building
for true low environmental impact,
there are a number of factors to be
considered outside the building
envelope itself, such as transport, the
land and ecology. These factors will
however need to be considered in an
overall evaluation of the building. The
other factors then generally relate to
the building itself and its operation.
These are energy, water, pollution and
materials. These factors have a greater
impact on the engineering services
design and can be simplified into three
stages of an eco building solution.
These are: analysis of building form,
optimising engineering system
efficiencies and regenerative and
renewable energy.”
The three stages of an eco building
solution are detailed as follows:
Stage 1 – analysis of building form
The building envelope design should
be developed so as to minimise the
impact on energy.
Key factors include:
l building orientation
l selection of cladding/façade to
minimise heat transfer
l design of glazing/facade to
maximise the use of natural light
and natural ventilation
l selection of sustainable materials
l dynamic modelling of the various
options to produce the optimum
results
Stage 2 – optimise engineering
system efficiencies
Following the development of this first
stage, the levels of heating cooling and
lighting to be provided. This next stage
will require the optimum selection of
plant, equipment and systems.
Key factors are:
l selection of high efficiency plant
(cost benefit analysis required)
l design of systems to operate
efficiently during partial load/use i.e.
variable volume/load systems
l use of free cooling
l use of integral heat recovery devices
l lighting control systems
l good quality building management
systems
l indoor air quality – monitoring/
controlling use of fresh air
Stage 3 – consideration of
regenerative and renewable energy
This stage expands past considering
the traditional building services
solutions and looks at the overall
energy balance within a building and
where waste energy or renewable
energy can best be deployed.
Key areas are:
l use of heat rejection from equipment
i.e. heating and cooling systems,
compressors, incinerators, etc
l consideration of CHP (combined
heat and power plant) producing
on site power and the subsequent
use of waste heat produced i.e.
absorption chillers
These solutions are dependent upon
the surrounding environment and
geology for their performance
and therefore are very much site
dependant, and include:
l photovoltaic cells
l solar cells producing hot water
l ground source heat pumps using
geothermal energy for generating
cooling and heating mediums
l wind turbines
“This knowledge and approach is
being adopted on a wide range
of projects within diverse sectors
such as education, healthcare,
commercial developments,
industrial/manufacturing facilities
and maritime applications, such
as the Royal National Lifeboat
Institute.” concludes Garry.
For more information about eco
buildings contact:
Garry Haigh
+44 (0)121 709 6525
g.haigh@royalhaskoning.com

4
range > summer 2009
special feature : protecting our coast – preserving tourism
Making sure our coasts are protected against rising sea levels is an important part of ensuring our communities are protected against the impact of climate
change. Managing flood risk, combating drought, preparing for storm events are things we are planning for now – to mitigate the impact of climate change
predictions to 2050 which could see increased river flows, more extreme rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and rising temperatures.
Adapting
to a changing climate
There is mounting evidence that the UK is starting to experience more
extreme weather patterns which are attributable to the effects of
global climate change.
As well as changes in mean sea levels and rainfall patterns, which are the
factors now commonly considered in flood risk management, land use
planning and development control, the changes in temperature, drought and
frequency of storm events can have wider implications on a range of human
activities as well as natural and built environments.
Royal Haskoning is involved in a number of studies relating to climate change
in the UK and worldwide. In the UK, regional climate change adaptation
studies that have been carried out in the north east of England, particularly
Yorkshire and Humber, have projected climate changes to the 2050s. This
has been achieved by using the Environment Agency Rainfall and Weather
Impact Generator (EARWIG), and a thorough review of published papers and
guidance.
The impact of these long range climate change projections on areas such
as transport, public services, industry, business, heritage, tourism and
leisure, were assessed and measures to counter the impact they could have,
were identified. This has led to recommendations being made for lead
organisations to take preventative action.
Working with seaside
communities to manage and
protect UK coastal areas
Royal Haskoning is currently involved in the development of ten
shoreline management plans which produce a long-term and integrated
plan for the sustainable management and protection of the shoreline
around the coasts of England and Wales. The work includes considering
the potential impact of proposed coast protection policies on local
communities and their economies, and the positive or negative affect
these may have on tourism in these areas.
The Duver coast protection scheme,
showcasing the visual and amenity
benefits of working with a renowned
sculptor
Coastal improvements
at Treaddur Bay
Anglesey County Council appointed Royal Haskoning to carry out the detailed
design of the coastal improvement scheme on the island’s Treaddur Bay. The
design includes a rock armour revetment, a length of new sea wall, improved
drainage to the existing sea wall and promenade, additional dwarf wall to the
rear of the promenade which has been designed to act as seating, and works
to channel the remaining overtopped seawater more effectively away from
properties. The main purpose of the scheme is to act as an essential coastal
defence whilst protecting the amenity value of the bay and alleviating the risk of
flooding to people and property.
“An excellently managed and designed project, carried out in
difficult circumstances”
“I visited the site recently and was impressed by the work
done to tidy up the site, it has been well done and in keeping
with surroundings”
Comments from the community
With an impressive judging panel
secured and substantial cash prizes
to be won, 26 students entered the
competition. Eight designs were
shortlisted and exhibited for two
weeks at the north west offices of the
Royal Institute of British Architects.
Judges awarded prizes for a winner,
Involving local artists in
protection construction
Coastal protection schemes for Duver on the Isle of Wight, and Weston-
Super-Mare in Somerset, have applied the skills of a renowned sculptor and
artist to enhance the aesthetic design of the schemes. In both cases the
artist has been closely involved in the development of the scheme layout and
the selection of construction materials.
The Duver scheme also enhanced a
former ‘private’ *Ramsar/SPA/SSSI
– a conservation wetland area and
a site of specific scientific interest
– and made this into a public area
with bird hides, tracks and weirs.
*(www.ramsar.org)
Engaging the brain power
of engineering students to
Brighten New Brighton
runner up, a highly commended entry
and a prize for the most sustainable
design. The winning designs were
announced at the international
architecture lecture delivered at the
University of Liverpool.
Protecting Borth
and its surf appeal
Royal Haskoning is currently
assisting Ceredigion County
Council in providing coastal
protection to the town of
Borth, near Aberystwyth, and
assessing the viability of the
local community’s request
for a surfing reef, at the same
time. The scheme will include
a multi-purpose offshore reef
that will provide protection to
the shoreline and improve wave
conditions for surfing activities.
The beach at Borth, near
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Mid
Wales
In April 2008 Royal Haskoning launched an innovative competition for architecture and engineering students
in Liverpool which called for entrants to submit design proposals for a waterside landmark for Liverpool’s New
Brighton area.
First place was awarded to Michael
Otchie for his design ‘Chip Shop-Tea
Room Seahouse’. (left)

summer 2009 > range 5
But what affect are these preparations having on communities now? We find out how flood
prevention work in coastal towns is not only protecting communities of the future – but is also
benefiting people’s lives today, as careful planning and design is building sustainable coastal
defences and whilst enhancing public amenities at the same time, to lessen the impact on the
all important tourism industry – which is vital to the survival of UK and international seaside
resorts, especially in the current economic climate.
Coastal protection and regeneration in Dublin
Flood prevention at
Largs and Saltcoats
seaside resorts
During the development of
two flood prevention schemes
for the seaside towns of Largs
and Saltcoats in North Ayrshire,
detailed consultation was carried
out with the local communities
to identify their concerns and
issues. In both cases, these
consultations identified the need
to carefully consider the impact
of the proposed schemes on
summer visitors to these popular
coastal towns, both during and
after construction works had
taken place. Works on both
flood prevention schemes were
carried out during the winter
months to minimise the impact
on visitors. As well as reducing
flooding and erosion risks, both
schemes included benefits
to existing amenities which
included widening sections of
the promenade, better access
to the beach, improved lighting,
features of interest and public
information boards.
Peterborough Millennium Green Wheel
The Green Wheel was an ambitious, multi-faceted project developed
by Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) with funding from the
Millennium Commission and the support and assistance of local and county
authorities, business, voluntary and charitable organisations and individuals.
Completed in 2003, the project comprised of an 80km network of cycleways
and bridleways around Peterborough, with bridges over roads, railways and
rivers. It also linked tourist attractions, nature reserves, picnic sites, sculpture
trails, wildlife habitats and ‘pocket parks’.
Royal Haskoning provided client side project management services to
PECT and was instrumental in obtaining funding from the Millennium
Commission, preparing grant funding applications and securing finance
from the Environment Agency, Anglian Water Environmental Partnership, EB
Cambs and Sustrans. Royal Haskoning also undertook contract management
and planning supervision for the project as well as both structural and
services design. These services were provided throughout the consultative,
development, design and construction phases of the project.
Tourism is also important to Scotland’s
economy and depends heavily on the
country’s landscape, with 90 per cent
of visitors considering scenery to be
important in their choice of Scotland
as a holiday destination. The presence
of fish farming production sites may
have an influence on where tourists
choose to visit, how long to stay, and
whether to make a repeat visit.
Together with Poseidon, an
engineering company servicing the
oil and gas industry, Royal Haskoning
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County
Council (DLRCC) commissioned
Royal Haskoning, with sub consultants
Murray & Associates (landscape
architects), to investigate the
feasibility of undertaking a major
enhancement scheme to improve
cultural, recreational, amenity and
commercial aspects of the East Pier
to Sandycove coastline in Dublin. This
coastline is one of the most heavily
used in Ireland, but is currently not
achieving its full potential due to a
number of factors which include;
poor recreational infrastructure,
restricted water access and reduced
visual amenities in several areas. The
scheme incorporates the Sutton to
Sandycove promenade and cycleway
facility. The project has the potential
to create a significant amenity and
tourist attraction within the Dublin
region and extend the tourism season.
international tourism
– Integrated coastal
zone management in
Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of
Works and Transport, commissioned
Royal Haskoning in 2008 to undertake
coastal protection works along
the north east coast of Trinidad.
The project is taking an integrated
approach to identify, design and build
a range of protection structures along
the rocky north-eastern coastline
to protect key assets from coastal
erosion and flooding – which, if left
unprotected, would have a significant
impact on the island’s northern coast
road, community settlements and
valuable tourist facilities. The project
has also identified sites which have
the potential for further development
for tourism, and in particular, ecotourism.
the impact of fish farming on tourism
Aquaculture is a very important industry for rural Scotland, particularly on
the west coast and the islands where many communities depend on the
employment and revenue it provides.
Contacts:
Amy Savage
+44 (0) 1733 33 6522
a.savage@royalhaskoning.com
Hamish Hall
+44 (1) 1392 44 1366
h.hall @royalhaskoning.com
undertook research which involved
interviews with tourists and tourism
related businesses, at selected study
locations in the western isles of
Shetland, Oban and Mull.
87 per cent of tourists interviewed
said they had seen fish farming before,
although half had not seen fish farming
at the study location. When asked to
focus on the effect of specific aspects
of fish farming including perception of
the area, impact on scenery, natural
environment, recreational activities
NEWS
Marketing team wins
Property Marketing Award
for Brighten New Brighton
competition
In April 2008 Royal Haskoning
launched an exciting design
competition for architecture and
engineering students in Liverpool,
calling for innovative design proposals
for a waterside landmark for the city’s
New Brighton area and – as a result –
picked up an award itself!
Royal Haskoning’s Marketing team
was delighted to receive the ‘Property
Marketing Award’ for Best Campaign
Under £10K which was presented
to Marketing & Communications
Director, Trudi Downey on 21 April at
London’s Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor
Square.
Senior Marketing Consultant Laura
Brewis, said: “The objective of the
‘Brighten New Brighton’ design
competition was to raise awareness
of Royal Haskoning’s infrastructure
and buildings capabilities to clients,
partners and the local business
community in the North West, whilst
at the same time engaging with the
local celebrations during Liverpool’s
year as European Capital of Culture.
The competition attracted 26 entrants
and an impressive judging panel
with representatives from Neptune
Developments, the Royal Institute
of British Architects, the Northwest
Regional Development Agency, Open
Culture and Royal Haskoning.”
The judges commented:
“This was a fantastic
way of marketing a site
in Liverpool, not Sussex.
Using Facebook showed
good understanding of
target audience. It was a
good way to get future
generations to identify
with the brand”
and willingness to re-visit, the
majority of respondents remained
neutral. The overwhelming majority
of respondents believed that:
l fish farms contribute to livelihoods
in coastal communities
l fish farms do not spoil the
appearance of the coast
l tourists would not be less likely to
visit places in Scotland where fish
farms are sited
l at current levels, the presence of
aquaculture operations would
not affect a visitor’s willingness
to re-visit or affect their key
recreational activities
Contact:
Frank Fortune
+44 (0)131 5612 295
f.fortune@royalhaskoning.com

6
Royal Haskoning and North East
Climate Change Partnership are
celebrating after scooping the
Robert Stephenson Special Award for
Sustainability 2009, awarded by the
Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE), in
recognition of the outstanding work
undertaken on a ground-breaking
climate change adaptation study.
“The first of its kind, this
study is an outstanding
example of the civil
engineer’s modern role in
serving our community in a
sustainable way”
The pioneering study forecasts what
the climate in the north east of
England could be like during the next
forty years and provides a clear picture
of the impact of climate change on
the region, what areas will be most
affected, and what the region needs to
do now to prepare and adapt.
The ICE award judges said: “We
were impressed with this ground
breaking study which addressed
regional adaptation to climate change.
The first of its kind, this study is an
outstanding example of the civil
engineer’s modern role in serving our
community in a sustainable way and
draws on specialist input to lead the
profession in tackling our greatest
current challenge.”
The study, developed by
Royal Haskoning, was spearheaded
by the North East Climate Change
Partnership, which brought a range of
the region’s organisations together to
commit to taking action to tackle the
causes and effects of climate change
in the region. Those involved with
the study included The Environment
Agency, regional development agency
One North East, and the Association of
North East Councils (ANEC).
Adrian Hilton, regional climate change
coordinator for the Partnership, said:
“I am delighted by this recognition of
the North East Adaptation Study by
the Institute of Civil Engineers. The
study shows the benefits of working
in close partnership across the region
towards a common aim.
“Climate Change is a reality and we
will all need to adapt to the impacts.
Civil Engineers are uniquely placed
to ensure that, as a region, we are
resilient to a changing climate. They
play a fundamental role in creating the
infrastructure that our society relies
upon – both for our quality of life and
our economic performance. This award
raises the profile of climate change, the
study, the region and the engineering
profession, and will greatly assist the
integration of climate change risks –
underpinning our aim of developing
the north east of England as a well
adapted and resilient region.”
Peter Kerr, Environment Agency’s
Local Levy Programme Manager
said: “This is an excellent example
of partners coming together to work
towards tackling climate change
range > summer 2009
Climate study scoops ICE award
Royal Haskoning and North East Climate Change Partnership win special
Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE) award for pioneering Climate Change
Adaptation Study.
Can ports be green
in a recession?
This October, Royal Haskoning will host a
thought provoking conference to discuss the
ever increasing environmental issues impacting
ports during a time of economic downturn.
This timely conference will bring together
industry experts with a panel of leading
port and environmental speakers to examine
topical overarching themes; sustainability,
environmental emissions management, and
climate change.
Date: Mid October 2009
Venue: The Rooftop Gardens, Kensington,
London
For more information and to register your
interest, please contact:
Richard Marks
r.marks@royalhaskoning.com
+44 (0) 1733 336 113
Nick Cooper, Adrian Hilton and Pete Kerr receive the Robert Stephenson Special
Award for Sustainability at the ICE North East Dinner on Thursday 30 April 2009
at a regional level. With the strong
support of our North East Regional
Flood Defence committee, I believe we
can now translate this into action on
the ground and deliver changes that
help to reduce the impacts of climate
change.”
Royal Haskoning’s Dr Nick Cooper,
director of Coastal & Rivers, Newcastle
and instrumental in launching the
study, said: “We are delighted with
this award. It is a real recognition
of the hard work that went into
The scheme, which offers schools
and local engineering companies
the opportunity to work together,
is designed to help students gain
real insight and knowledge into
the technicalities involved in the
engineering profession.
Steve Osborn, Senior Consultant
and Chartered Civil Engineer within
Royal Haskoning’s Maritime division,
has been running the Peterborough
programme for the past five
years. “The scheme is a novel way
to introduce young students to
the world of engineering through
interactive project work. We have
supported the scheme from our
Peterborough, Newcastle and Exeter
offices for several years now and see
it as a valuable programme that
benefits everyone involved.
“This year the Peterborough office
worked with an extremely talented
group of students from the King’s
School on a particularly interesting
maritime project which involved
the design of man-made islands
that float on a series of pontoons.
Concept of a Dutch architect, the
floating islands are intended for
this pioneering study. The project
success is mainly due to the excellent
collaboration of the partners involved
and to the combination of state-of-the
art science with the practical on the
ground knowledge and experience of
those involved.”
About the study
Sustainability and environmental
issues
The study’s philosophy was wholly
based on the concept of sustainability
in that it was aimed at providing tools
leisure use and will include villas, tree
plantations, beach huts and even
beaches.
In December 2007, Royal Haskoning
put forward designs for a device that
would secure the pontoons in position.
This was particularly challenging as the
architect stipulated that the restraint
structure should be completely hidden
from view.
to practitioners that will enable them to
both pro-actively and reactively adapt
to changing climate and make the
region more resilient. Also, the study
revealed that the natural environment
can play a vitally important role in
responding to the challenge of climate
change through the beneficial impact
that ‘green infrastructure’ can have.
Approach to health and safety
The study also considered the affect
climate change will have on the health
and welfare of people living in the
region. It recognised that heat-related
illnesses and afflictions are likely to
increase and that there is likely to
be an increase in unwanted pest and
diseases. The study has highlighted
to health authorities and welfare
providers that they need to adapt
their skills and resources in response
to climate change to counter these.
Sharing the study so others can benefit,
eight of the twelve local authorities
in the region have included NI 188
(Planning to Adapt to Climate Change)
in their Local Area Agreements. For
example, one local authority has
set a target of reaching level four
in the NI 188 guidance in the next
three years. A sister study is currently
being undertaken in the Yorkshire
and Humber region and outputs from
the study are also being utilised by
local authorities to inform work on
local development frameworks and
transport plans.
The full North East Climate Change
Adaptation Study is available online at
www.adaptne.org
Contact
Dr Nick Cooper
+44 (0) 191 211 1330
n.cooper@royalhaskoning.com
Engaging with students solves ponto
Sixth form students from Peterborough’s Kings School have completed an exciting ‘real life’ engineering project
with Royal Haskoning, as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering Education Scheme, which challenges young
minds to solve real life engineering problems.
Although Royal Haskoning had already
put forward initial thoughts to the
architect, the company wanted to see
what ideas the students would come
up with.
The project began in October last
year and included a site visit to longstanding
Royal Haskoning client, the
Port of Sheerness, where the students
were shown how working pontoons

summer 2009 > range 7
Moving Gladstone’s Gate
unlocks solution to gate restoration
Royal Haskoning’s project manager Mike Chambers explains how lifting,
moving and repairing one of Mersey Dock and Harbour gates was not an
open and shut project, but one that has led to the refurbishment of 40 mitre
gates in Liverpool and Manchester.
In 2005 the Port of Liverpool’s largest
dock entrance, Gladstone Lock, was
severely damaged in a storm that ripped
off one of its 400 tonne mitre gates.
The recovery and repair of the gate
could have been an expensive and
lengthy procedure, but thanks to
an innovative engineering solution
developed by Royal Haskoning and the
Chief Engineer of Mersey Docks and
Harbour, the gate has been repaired
and reinstated, and is spearheading an
ongoing programme of refurbishment.
“To repair the gate, we needed to
place it in a horizontal position, in
dry conditions,” comments Mike.
“Weighing 400 tonnes and measuring
17m by 21m, to lift the gate out of the
water a specialist lift crane from the
Netherlands or Norway would have
had to have been brought in.
“In usual circumstances we would
have floated the hollow gate into dry
dock where it would have dried out
on dock blocks. However, the gate
was damaged which meant it was not
stable enough to float. Our solution
was to use the gate’s natural buoyancy
to offset most of its weight and build a
special ‘tipping cradle’ that would pull
it into a horizontal position.”
The port’s ‘Mersey Mammoth’, a 250
tonne floating crane barge, lifted
on problem
are restrained. A three-day residential
period at Northampton University
followed, where the students were
able to use the university’s facilities
to help them manufacture the
components they needed to create
demonstration models.
Using underwater restraining piles,
with restraint collars located 2.5m
below water level, the key issue the
students had to consider was how to
install the restraints without placing
divers in an unsafe position.
The students came up with a solution
based on the use a manufacturing
claw that would allow each pontoon to
float into position and then trap them
with closure gates. This admirably
solved the problem.
Assessed at the East of England
Engineering Education Scheme
Celebration and Assessment Day
on 29 April 2009 the project was
considered a creditable and wellexecuted
project.
Steve concluded: “I am sure the
team learnt a great deal about
what engineering is all about – they
certainly know what a pontoon and a
port look like now!
“The scheme benefits Royal Haskoning
by helping it to attract potential
recruits. At least three students
decided to approach us for future
the gate vertically, while the cradle,
attached to tugs by long ropes, began
the tipping process, eventually pulling
the gate through 90 degrees and onto
dry land.
“Once we had refurbished the gate,
we brought it into line with current
legislation and then reinstated it using
the same tipping cradle procedure, but
in reverse,” Mike continued. “Working
closely with Mersey Docks and Harbour
we developed an ingenious solution
to a potentially disastrous problem.
We have improved the solution to
enable the client to consider a much
wider programme of renovation and
refurbishment efficiently and costeffectively.”
“Royal Haskoning’s innovative
proposal presented us with
an engineering solution that
allowed us to secure the gate
on dry land without causing
any further damage”
The system has been designed so that
any of the 40 similar mitre gates in
Liverpool and along the Manchester
The team from King’s School was led by liaisons teacher, Chris Dunn and involved pupils, George Coxon, Lewis Hollingsworth,
Daniel Mudge and Carl Martyres. The Royal Haskoning team included Julian Hodnett and Steve Osborn
employment opportunities. I was
delighted to work with the King’s
School liaison teacher, Chris Dunn
again this year. His leadership of the
team both this year and last year was
excellent and allowed us to produce an
interesting study.”
The team from King’s School was led
by Chris Dunn and involved pupils
George Coxon, Lewis Hollingsworth,
Daniel Mudge and Carl Martyres. The
Royal Haskoning team included Julian
Hodnett and Steve Osborn.
Ship Canal could be refurbished using
the system. A specialist shed has been
built so that work can be carried out
under cover and the tipping cradle has
been modified so the gates can be
winched into the shed along a track.
Matt Singleton, Project Manager,
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company,
said:
“It was imperative that the mitre gate
was recovered and repaired, and the
dock put back into service as quickly as
possible. Royal Haskoning’s innovative
proposal presented us with an
engineering solution that allowed us
to secure the gate on dry land without
causing any further damage.”
“The gate was repaired and refurbished
quickly and efficiently, while the
engineering solution itself encouraged
For more information about the
Engineering Education Scheme,
go to www.raeng.org.uk. For more
information about Royal Haskoning’s
involvement in the programme.
Contact
Steve Osborn
+44 (0) 1733 336117
s.osborn@royalhaskoning.com
us to press ahead confidently with our
current refurbishment programme.
“Working with the Royal Haskoning
team has allowed us to keep the
port working while undergoing the
necessary renovation which will secure
the port’s operational future for many
years to come.’’
Contact
Mike Chambers
+44 (0) 151 2362 944
mike.chambers@royalhaskoning.com
Students
Experience
Landmark
Engineering
Seventy students from the
Department of Civil Engineering
at London’s Imperial College
travelled to Berlin earlier this
year to visit some of the city’s
great landmarks and find out
how 21st century engineering is
being practiced outside the UK.
The annual trip, organised by
the College and sponsored in
part by Royal Haskoning, aims
to demonstrate what a career
in civil engineering can involve
and give students from the
four-year undergraduate degree
programme the opportunity to
integrate and share knowledge.
Douglas White, one of the
students from the College who
organised the trip, said: “The
annual trip is a really good way for
students to view civil engineering
works at close quarters and to
link up with others in the civil
engineering field. During this
trip, the students saw some of
Berlin’s most famous engineering
feats, both old and new. They
visited Berlin’s popular TV tower,
a relic from the city’s former
communist regime, and learnt
about the construction of Berlin
Brandenburg Flughafen, the
city’s new state of the art airport,
which will include underground
infrastructure, located beneath
the runways.
“The trip included a talk by
Professor Mike Schlaich of
Technische Universität Berlin,
about incorporating elegant
design into structures and
this was followed by a tour
of the university and the
structures laboratory, where
the students tested a prototype
bridge designed by one of the
postgraduates. Made of carbon
fibre strips just millimetres thick
the bridge was strong enough to
hold the combined weight of the
tour group.”
The students also visited the
central station where they learnt
how the combination of Berlin’s
high water level and the pressure
of heavy trainloads on multiple
floors creates an engineering
challenge. On the last day, the
students visited the Olympic
stadium where they were able
to see the historical structure up
close, hear about its history, and
find out how it accommodates
today’s sporting events.
“We would like to thank
Royal Haskoning for their
generous sponsorship
which enabled the trip
to be a huge success
and an inspiration to a
generation of future civil
engineers”
Douglas White, London’s
Imperial College

8
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Hail Atlantis
as new island city emerges
off Nigeria’s coastline
Prompted by population explosion, increasing traffic congestion and
decreasing space for new economic developments in Nigeria’s expanding
Lagos city, the west African coastline is about to change shape as plans to
create a new ‘marine’ city get underway.
Brainchild of privately owned South
Energyx Nigeria Ltd., and supported
by the Lagos State Government, this
enormous land reclamation project
will see recovery and protection of
the eroded Nigerian coastline at
Lagos and construction of an 850
hectare island. Designed to be fully
self-supporting, Eko Atlantic City will
provide a new business centre for
Experts and stakeholders from
Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, New
Orleans and Rotterdam gathered
at the Aquaterra exhibition in
Amsterdam during January to take
part in the second series of the
groundbreaking Delta Dialogues.
Range is a Royal Haskoning
publication issued 4 times a year. It
is available in printed and electronic
versions in both English and Dutch.
our offices in the uk:
our offices in the netherlands:
other offices in europe:
our offices worldwide:
Lagos, offering high-value residential
and office space and recreational
opportunities that will support some
400,000 residents and 200,000 daily
commuters. A commercial bus service
and seven tram lines will operate on
the island and a ferry system will
connect the city to Victoria Island –
and help alleviate the overcrowded
and congested conditions in Lagos.
We always welcome comments from
our readers. If you have any questions
or feedback about anything you have
read in Range then please email:
range.uk@royalhaskoning.com
Trusted and renowned in Nigeria
for several engineering projects, in
particular coastal and river projects
it has carried out for over 50 years,
Royal Haskoning was commissioned to
the project to apply its multifaceted
and versatile approach to developing
the urban and transport master plan,
which included: rules for land use,
water management, assignment for
living and working, high tech stateof-the-art
infrastructure, traffic
and recreation. Royal Haskoning is
also responsible for carrying out the
environmental impact assessment and
overall management of the project.
Now with the master plan completed to
full satisfaction, the Royal Haskoning
team has moved on to the next step
of the project – design of the city’s
infrastructure.
Royal Haskoning consultant, Hans van
der Spek, said: “Now the master plan
is complete we can turn to the next
phase of the project which is to create
the infrastructure for all the city’s
public amenities, this will include the
design of water, sewerage and waste
water facilities and the provision and
design of energy to supply power, the
energy network and street lighting
and tele-communications services.
“Reclamation of the land began earlier
this year and according to the schedule,
this will be complete in 2016. This
means construction and installation
of all the infrastructure can commence
with the structures springing up
during mid 2010. The island will be in
full use by 2030”.
The importance of domestic and
foreign investors for Eko Atlantic City
is tremendous and already options
have been taken for large plots of land.
If you would like to change your
subscription to receive Range by email,
please use the same address to let us
know.
Owner of private company South
Energyx Nigeria Ltd and initiator of
the project believes he has found a
solution for the traffic congestion on
Lagos and the economic decline that
threatens as a result. He said: “My
family has enjoyed living and working
in Lagos for one hundred years and the
city has always been good for us. We
wanted to give something back and,
as a private party, wanted to create
a fully self-supporting island with
a business centre that offers highvalue
residential and working space
as well as recreational opportunities,
which also guarantees the safety of
its 400,000 residents and expected
200,000 daily commuters. This new
‘Manhattan’ will be guarded by the
four cross-river connections which will
be realised with Victoria and Lagos
islands.”
Dredging work is being carried out by
China Communications Construction
Company Ltd, under the supervision
of the Royal Haskoning project team
in Lagos.
Hans van der Spek
+31 (0)24 3284 330
h.vanderspek@royalhaskoning.com
Dialogues unite nations to find delta solutions
Is there a way to make our delta areas resistant to climate change?
This is a pressing question for many countries with densely populated
coastal areas occupied by more than half the world’s population. According
to specialists at Royal Haskoning – the answer is a resounding yes!
Initiated by Royal Haskoning, the Delta
Dialogues are designed to envoke
discussion between nations with densely
populated coastal areas, so they can help
each other find solutions to adapt and
protect their vulnerable coastal areas
from the affects of climate change.
Credit: Bottom Left, Essex Estuary Massachusetts by Dennis Hubbard, Oberlin
The first series, held during December
2008, took place in Jakarta, which
is especially prone to flooding,
particularly due to climate change.
Three further Delta Dialogues took
place during January, March and April.
Royal Haskoning consultant Stefan
Nijwening, said: “Presentations about
deltas in Vietnam and Indonesia during
the second series were inspirational
and opened up interactive discussions.
Collaboration, exchange of knowledge,
inspiration from other countries and
innovation are all central to the Delta
Dialogues.
“Our advice to any country concerned
about adapting to the threat of climate
change is to first draw lessons from
other countries that have experienced
it first hand and learn the lessons from
them before formulating strategies
or taking measures in their own delta
regions. For example, New Orleans
has amassed extensive experience
surrounding emergency response,
while the Netherlands has expertise
in the field of storm flood measures.
By analysing specific problems
collectively and sharing knowledge,
effective and sustainable solutions can
be determined and put into practice
faster and more effectively.
“Royal Haskoning provides advice
to authorities in many delta areas,”
Stefan continues. “We see the
common ground and the differences,
which puts us in an excellent position
to fulfil the role of middleman. Our
message is that the solution does not
always lie in expensive technical skill,
but by exchanging relevant knowledge
and experience on a global scale,
participants can learn a lot from one
another. By investing in knowledge
networks with our clients at home and
For further information about
Royal Haskoning, please visit our
website at
www.royalhaskoning.co.uk
range > summer 2009
Fact File
The city of Lagos has an estimated
19 million residents and its central
business district of Lagos is the
economic heart of West Africa.
The business district is located
on Victoria and Lagos islands
and borders the Atlantic Ocean.
Victoria and Lagos islands have
only three cross-river connections
with mainland Lagos, which is
also developing. Millions of
commuters travel to and from
the central business district every
day, resulting in enormous traffic
jams. Public transport is still in
its infancy and travelling by car
or minibus – of which there are
70,000 in Lagos – together with
the highly popular moped, can
be extremely dangerous. The
city’s infrastructure and power
supply have not developed in
line with its growth and mobility
and economic growth has almost
reached its limit. For twelve
hours a day, Lagos is virtually at
a standstill.
abroad we are investigating how
we can make climate adaptation
happen.”
Royal Haskoning consultant Rob
Bonte, who supported the Delta
Dialogues in Jakarta, said: “We
invited parties to consider ‘nonphysical’
measures, exchange
best practice and not just focus
on clever technical inventions,
but to recognise the relationship
between spatial planning and water
management.”
During the World Water Forum
in Istanbul held during March,
experts from Royal Haskoning again
provided interactive sessions with
the objective of collectively learning
from international experience.
For more information go to:
www.deltadialogues.com
Contact
Stefan Nijwening
+31 (0)24 3284 725
s.nijwening@royalhaskoning.com
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birmingham > bodmin > chertsey > edinburgh > elgin >exeter > glasgow > haywards heath > leeds > liverpool > london > manchester > newcastle >
peterborough > rochdale > solihull
amsterdam > capelle a/d ijssel > dordrecht > enschede > goes > groningen > hedel > ’s-hertogenbosch > hoofddorp > maastricht > nijmegen > oirschot >
rijswijk > rotterdam > steenwijk > zwolle
bucharest > dublin > mechelen > namen > namur > orange > villeneuve d’ascq
bahrain > cambodia > india > indonesia > libya > malaysia > nigeria > russian federation > thailand > trinidad & tobago > united arab emirates> united
states of america > vietnam