Nice to meet you: Matthijs Zijlmans

“Water touches everything – it’s the most fundamental resource for our planet and it connects many sectors. That’s what I find truly fascinating about working in this field.” Matthijs Zijlmans joined Partners for Water six years ago, after a traineeship in the water team at the RVO (Netherlands Enterprise and Development Agency) and having worked for the former water programme Dutch Surge Support.

With a background in public administration and economics, he often focuses on the governance and international relations aspects of water projects. He works as a project adviser for Vietnam and Nature-based Solutions. Nice to meet you Matthijs!

Innovative international water projects

“Over the past years, I’ve worked on various projects internationally. Current examples are our collaboration with Thủ Đức City on urban flood resilience, the Mekong Delta Living Lab, and developing a coastal protection pilot in the Philippines. What makes these projects truly exciting is the real momentum and their practical innovation.”

“In Thủ Đức City, we’re developing Nature-based Solutions to address urgent flooding challenges. We’re working together with the World Bank, the City government and a consortium led by Royal HaskoningDHV’s Vietnam office. And in the Living Lab, led by TU Delft with Vietnamese partners, we study the restoration of mangrove ecosystems.” Matthijs explains that Vietnam has seen many mangrove reforestation efforts over the past thirty years, with mixed results. “This project studies the coastal system to understand why some projects thrive while others fail, building a knowledge foundation for sustainable interventions.”

Systems approach to water challenges

“Both projects incorporate a systems approach,” says Matthijs. “Which means they look beyond immediate water management issues to understand the broader social, economic and environmental contexts.” Matthijs shares that taking on a systems approach has been one of the most valuable lessons he has learnt over the past years. “Understanding how systems function has helped me identify which aspects we can actually influence. Rather than working on solutions that might never be implemented due to economic or political barriers, it helps me focus on interventions that will be most effective.”

Essential elements for good collaboration

“Another crucial aspect of effective solutions is creating equal partnerships with our international partners, where we listen to their needs without imposing solutions,” explains Matthijs. “Equal partnerships are important for creating solutions that truly fit the local context, but also for enabling local partners to take ownership of the projects. This is essential in order to sustain solutions long-term.”

“In the Philippines, we’ve developed a coastal protection pilot in Malolos City that combines underwater shell-based breakwaters, bamboo sediment traps, and green dykes,” shares Matthijs. “While we provide technical advice and support by financing the preparation phase, the local partners make the decisions.” The city also invests its own funds in the project. “This financial commitment demonstrates their dedication to the project’s success.”

Future perspectives

“What makes this work rewarding is the freedom we have to find innovative approaches to complex problems that aren’t getting smaller,” says Matthijs. In September he will take a break from PfW to participate in a leadership track at RVO, but afterwards he’ll return to the PfW team. “I’m looking forward to continuing co-creating innovative projects that create lasting positive change in water management worldwide.”