Louisiana and the Netherlands:
A Friendship Forged by Water
January 9 - 13, 2006
From January 9 through 13, 2006, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., will lead a delegation of more than 40 Louisiana leaders and experts to the Netherlands as part of an educational exchange to discuss the many shared storm and flood protection challeneges Louisiana and the Netherlands face. The delegation includes Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, D-La., Senator David Vitter, R-La., Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and other local officials, engineers, scholars.
Throughout the week, Sen. Landrieu will be sharing the delegation's visit to the Netherlands with everyone through this website. Look for daily updates about what the delegation has seen and learned from their journey.
Louisiana Delegation Tours Netherlands' World Class Flood Protection System
Senators Landrieu and Vitter Meet with Dutch Water Experts
January 12, 2006
The Louisiana Delegation saw first hand the world's largest and most advanced flood protection system, as part of an educational exchange to discuss the many shared storm and flood protection challenges Louisiana and the Netherlands face. The tour included stops at the two cornerstones of the Dutch system, the Maeslant Barrier and the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier, plus briefings from some of the world's leading experts in water management. The delegation also met with His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, who, in addition to being the Crown Prince of the Netherlands, is a world-renowned water management expert.
"It is possible to keep your feet dry, even living below sea level," said U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, who is leading the 40+ person delegation. Members of the delegation include Senator David Vitter, R-La., and other local officials, engineers, scholars.
"Sharing knowledge and expertise is an important condition for success," said His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Orange. "We will never be able to eliminate flooding completely. But being well-prepared can minimize the impact. In other words: you cannot control the wind, but you can adjust your sails. And that is what I hope for your delegation; that you will find plenty of inspiration here in the Netherlands to adjust your sails, on your voyage to a safer future."
The delegation also toured the WL Delft Hydraulics where they saw a demonstration of the Flood Early Warning System. The also discussed ways to strengthen Louisiana's storm defense and water management systems with leaders from the Regional Water Authority Delfland and Rijkswaterstaat, a division of the Ministry of Traffic and Water Management.
"Two things are very striking about your water boards. First, they are organized on a regional basis around natural drainage areas, and secondly, very importantly, there is an enormous professionalism and expertise built into them, which quite frankly we need to increase dramatically in at least some of our levee boards." said Sen. Vitter. "So there is one perfect example tied right to where we are sitting about what we will take back to Louisiana and immediately put into our debate."
In 1953, a North Sea storm plowed into the Netherlands, breaching dikes in more than 450 places and destroying nearly 50,000 homes and other buildings. Nearly 1,900 people were killed. The government responded with a 40-year program to increase the Netherlands' storm and flood protection through an elaborate network of dikes, man-made islands and 1½-mile stretch of 62 floodgates designed to protect the country from North Sea storms likely to occur only once every 10,000 years. By comparison, while the weakest parts of the Dutch system protect inland areas from one-every-1,250-years flooding, Louisiana's strongest systems are only rated to a Category 3 level - or a 250-year storm.
In November, Boudewijn J. van Eenennaam, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States, traveled to South Louisiana with Sen. Landrieu where he saw firsthand the destruction caused by the Hurricanes and the failure of the storm protection system. He joined the Louisiana delegation during their tour of the Netherlands' flood protection system, and offered the following parting advice.
"The main essence of this visit is to convey that we were able, under more or less the same circumstances, to rebuild our country, and that sends the message to your people at home that you can do it," said Ambassador van Eenennaam.
Louisiana Delegation Arrives in Netherlands
Senators Landrieu and Vitter, Governor Blanco, Congressman Jefferson meet key Dutch Officials before Touring World-Class Storm Protection System
January 10, 2006
The Louisiana Delegation arrived in the Netherlands today to take part in an educational exchange to discuss the many shared storm and flood protection challenges Louisiana and the Netherlands face. After arriving, the delegation met with key members of the Dutch government to discuss that nation's water policy and to preview the upcoming week.
"We are here to learn and to understand, what we need to do to protect our people, not just from the next hurricane season, but from ever flooding in a catastrophic way again," said U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, who is leading the 40+ person delegation. Members of the delegation include Senator David Vitter, R-La., Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, D-La., Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and other local officials, engineers, scholars.
The delegation was welcomed by Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Vice Minister for Transport, Public Works and Water Management. Vice Minister Schultz van Haegen then led a series of briefings and seminars on her nation's flood protection system and water policies as a preview to tomorrow's agenda, which will include visits to the Maeslant Barrier and the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier, two pieces of the world's most advanced flood protection system.
"We had a very good meeting between the Netherlands and the U.S.," said Minister Schultz van Haegen. "We both want to know what we can learn from each other. We don't only want to show our experience and our systems to protect from flooding, but we are also curious what we can learn from the situation in New Orleans."
"A lot of people back home in Louisiana are focused on this trip and this discussion in terms of engineering issues and engineering solutions, but I think it will be even more valuable in terms of the much more difficult problems of governance, politics, organization, tradeoffs, environmental issues, finance, because those are the really tough nuts to crack," said Sen. Vitter.
"We want to look at your systems. We want to glean from the knowledge that you have acquired, from the experiences that you have shared, that are in many ways are similar to our own," said Gov. Blanco.
The delegation also met with members of the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) today. The NWP is an independent body set up jointly by the Dutch private and public sector to act as a focal point for the exchange of information related to activities and services of government bodies, knowledge and research institutes and businesses involved in the water sector.
In 1953, a North Sea storm plowed into the Netherlands, breaching dikes in more than 450 places and destroying nearly 50,000 homes and other buildings. Nearly 1,900 people were killed. The government responded with a 40-year program to increase the Netherlands' storm and flood protection through an elaborate network of dikes, man-made islands and 1½-mile stretch of 62 floodgates designed to protect the country from North Sea storms likely to occur only once every 10,000 years. By comparison, while the weakest parts of the Dutch system protect inland areas from one-every-1,250-years flooding, Louisiana's strongest systems are only rated to a Category 3 level - or a 250-year storm.
In November, Boudewijn J. van Eenennaam, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States, traveled to South Louisiana with Sen. Landrieu where he saw firsthand the destruction caused by the Hurricanes and the failure of the storm protection system.
Senator Landrieu Leads Official Trip to Netherlands To Study World-Class Flood Protection System
January 9, 2006
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., will lead a delegation of more than 40 Louisiana leaders and experts to the Netherlands next week as part of an educational exchange to discuss the many shared storm and flood protection challenges Louisiana and the Netherlands face. The delegation includes Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, D-La., Senator David Vitter, R-La., Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and other local officials, engineers, scholars.
"When the unprecedented disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the subsequent levee breaks struck Louisiana, the Netherlands was one of the first nations to come forward to offer their support," Sen. Landrieu said. "The Dutch know all too well the challenges we face, having lived for centuries under the threat from similar vulnerability themselves."
In 1953, a North Sea storm plowed into the Netherlands, breaching dikes in more than 450 places and destroying nearly 50,000 homes and other buildings. Nearly 1,900 people were killed. The government responded with a 40-year program to increase the Netherlands' storm and flood protection through an elaborate network of dikes, man-made islands and 1½-mile stretch of 62 floodgates designed to protect the country from North Sea storms likely to occur only once every 10,000 years. By comparison, while the weakest parts of the Dutch system protect inland areas from one-every-1,250-years flooding, Louisiana's strongest systems are only rated to a Category 3 level - or a 250-year storm.
In November, Boudewijn J. van Eenennaam, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States, traveled to South Louisiana with Sen. Landrieu where he saw firsthand the destruction caused by the Hurricanes and the failure of the storm protection system.
While in the Netherlands they will meet that nation's leading engineers and storm protection specialists, tour the world's largest levee system, and meet privately with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.
"The Dutch recognize that 'homeland security' includes developing a comprehensive storm and flood protection strategy that not only protects people and communities, but also respects a vital harmony with the nation's commerce needs," Sen. Landrieu said, referring to the Port of Rotterdam - Europe's largest port, and the second largest in the world. Similarly, Louisiana's port system is the U.S.'s largest.
"This is a friendship forged by water and our shared history of living with it. But this trip will give us an opportunity to do more than just strengthen a friendship - Louisiana's future will be will strengthened from the information we gather and the lessons we learn."