On June 21, Hans van Zijst was a guest at the opening of Dike Worker Week. At the invitation of the Flood Protection Program (HWBP) of Rijkswaterstaat and the water boards, he spoke about participation, opportunities for collaboration, and the booklet ‘Dikes for Beginners.’.
Moderated by Anouschka Laheij, Hans van Zijst, Martin Schepers (Water Safety Program Manager at Aveco de Bondt), Ate Wijnstra (Project Manager for the HWBP at the Noorderzijlvest Water Board), and Els van Grol (Project Director for the Sterke Lekdijk HDSR) discussed practical issues and dilemmas. The discussion was part of the opening of the Week for the Dike Worker and took place at Fort Lent near Nijmegen. Hans indicated that he expects participation to become—and remain—hybrid in the future. There will still be an evening gathering at the village hall, but digital tools will also be used to give the target group—young people in particular—the opportunity to participate without having to come to a specific location at a specific time. That evening at the village hall remains important, because that’s where you feel the dynamics and the drama of how the proposed dike reinforcement affects the public: “You have to treat yourself to that!”.
Regarding piggyback opportunities, Hans said: “You look at it as an opportunity; first see if it's possible and then discuss the conditions under which you can achieve it.” If you consider a piggyback opportunity as a risk, it won't happen. He then referred to table guest Ate Wijnstra, who managed to realize no fewer than 5 piggyback opportunities for the dike section Delfzijl – Eemsmond, including two that were a useful test from the Project-Overarching Exploration of the Wadden Sea Dikes of HWBP. Mr. Wijnstra then explained why that was possible at the Noorderzijlvest Water Board.
The talk show also offered a great opportunity to draw attention once again to ‘Dikes for Beginners”, the publication by HWBP and the Water Authority of Hollands Noorderkwartier, made possible in part by WesselinkVanZijst, which clearly explains various dike failure mechanisms. Fellow panel member Martin Schepers was involved in both this booklet and the explanation of failure mechanisms to the residents of Durgerdam.
Would you like to rewatch the entire kick-off meeting of the Week of the Dike Worker? Click here here.
