As early as the 7th centaury, the Dutch helped to reclaim and cultivate land around the Elbe delta, in what is now Northern Germany. During the 19th centaury, Dutch engineers were invited to work on large water projects in Japan and China. Now, Dutch companies, experts and NGO’s are involved in water projects all over the world.
Today, many Dutch organizations are active in a number of international networks in the field of water supply, water sanitation and civil engineering.
In order to be able to fully capitalize on this knowledge and expertise internationally, the Netherlands established in 2000 the ‘Partners for Water’ programme. This programme provides support to commercial and non-profit organisations that work together to realise their international objectives in the field of water. Partners for Water acts as a springboard for organisations that have the courage to venture into a new region, for example, by applying a new technology or approach. In doing so, they create international opportunities that have potential both for them and for the Dutch water sector as a whole. The programme has its focus at the heart of the sector – parties from the sector work together within the programme, helping to give it shape. In 2010, the third programme period for Partners for Water was launched.
Organizations conducting international water projects:
- various drinking water companies
- various polder boards
- Ministery of Infrastructure and the Environment/Global water program
- NWP - network organization for the whole Dutch water sector
- Aqua for All – broker for long lasting water projects in developing countries
- Delta Alliance – network for improving resilience of the world deltas
