Deltares: Helping to Devise Multifunctional Water Defences (USA)

Deltares is helping the city of New York to devise a New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan.

The plan describes a vision for restructuring a number of districts close to the coast, with the aim of combining urban development with water safety. The main reason for taking action is a pressing lack of space in the city combined with the predicted effects of climate change.

So-called ‘multifunctional water defences’, with which Deltares has a lot of experience, would go a long way to solving the problems.

Sustainable

Ellen Tromp, specialist in multifunctional water defences at Deltares: ‘Hurricane Sandy has shown just how urgently this plan needs to be implemented. A multifunctional water defence provides an effective and sustainable solution, particularly for major coastal cities like New York, which have to utilise every inch of space. It is also in line with the city’s vision of focusing on the sea and including water in urban development rather than trying to work round it. It’s becoming increasingly popular in major cities, including in London, Sydney and Melbourne. What’s more, in the long term a multifunctional water defence is a cheaper option than many other hydraulic solutions, like a storm surge barrier, for example.’

[mappress]

Press Release, November 2, 2012