In June 2007 the DG Water of the Dutch Ministery of Transport and Public Works, the province of North-Holland, the province of South-Holland, the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) and the Japan Water Forum organized a Design Workshop, based on an idea initiated by Dura Vermeer.

Ten Japanese experts (water, spatial planning) came to the Netherlands and, together with a Dutch team of experts, made a design for an area with a specific water problem. The basis for this design was the 'Building with Water' project in the Haarlemmermeer and the Zuidplaspolder (the deepest polder in the EU).

The idea of combining Dutch and Japanese expertise in the field of 'living with water' and 'room for the rivers'  arose from a fact-finding mission  to Japan in June 2005, which was headed by the undersecretary, Melanie Schultz - van Haegen.

Further information
For further information on this project or Dura Vermeer:
Ellen Brandenburg
e.brandenburg@duravermeer.nl
+31 (0)23 752 84 00