A Dutch consortium is to develop a master plan for managing flood risks in the Cauca river basin in the west of Colombia.
Floods are a regular occurrence in this area, and they are not only a direct threat to local inhabitants, they also cause considerable economic damage.
Intensive collaboration involving six parties
The consortium consists of Deltares, Arcadis (lead), the Rural Areas Department, the Dommel Water Authority and Daphnia ecological consultants.
The Dutch companies are collaborating intensively with experts from the Colombian Corporacíon Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca, an organisation that is comparable with water management authorities in the Netherlands.
Room for the River leads the way
During the development of the master plan, the consortium will draw on the philosophy behind Room for the River, the Dutch flood risk management programme.
The Master Plan will have to have the support and commitment of the authorities involved, as well as the leading socio-economic stakeholders. The active early involvement of stakeholders is an important key success factor.
The consortium will be starting work next year, completing its assignment in late March 2015.
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Press Release, March 3, 2014