On 8 April 2026, over 110 participants from government, knowledge institutions, and the private sector joined a webinar dedicated to the evolving water partnership between the Netherlands and Indonesia. Marking 25 years of collaboration under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Water, the session highlighted how this long-standing trust is being translated into large-scale, impactful projects.
The current cooperation is built on a three-level approach integrating policy, governance, and practice across four strategic thematic areas.
1. Integrated Water Resilience
Focused on North Java and Bali, this working group addressed the dual threats of flooding and land subsidence. Key highlights included:
- Water as Leverage (WaL) Semarang: An integrated water management approach based on catchment boundaries rather than administrative borders. This approach promotes inter-agency collaboration and has been recognized at the national level as a model with potential for replication across North Java.
- Bali DRRS (Dutch Disaster Risk Reduction and Surge Support) Deployments: following recent flood events in Bali (September 2025), the importance of rapid flood modelling tools, addressing solid waste issues, and recognizing the leading role of local actors in flood risk management were emphasized.
2. Lowland Development and Irrigation
The focus here was on optimising existing lowland areas to enhance food security, with sustainable water management as a key enabler of agricultural productivity. Upcoming activities on capacity building, e-learning, and the further development of Smart Innovative Water Management (SIWM) for Indonesia’s lowlands were presented.
- Vision: Transitioning toward digital tools and blended learning (combining e-learning with in-person training).
- Expansion: Discussions explored linking Dutch expertise with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s upcoming OLIFS programme to optimize Indonesian lowlands.
3. Knowledge Exchange, Capacity Building & Youth
Acting as the ‘connective tissue’ of the partnership, this group focused on embedding Dutch expertise into local institutions.
- Lifelong Learning: HAS University of Applied Sciences has introduced a framework to transition students into professionals, ensuring knowledge is scalable from now until the end of 2027.
- Expert Database: Participants were encouraged to join the water experts database to streamline future collaborations.
4. Coastal Protection: The ‘Giant Seawall’
With the establishment of the North Java Coastal Protection Authority (BOPPJ), the partnership is supporting President Prabowo’s vision for a resilient coastline. The organization currently has over 100 staff and prioritizes coastal protection for Jakarta and the Semarang region. The project is scheduled to start in late 2026 to early 2027.
- Major Investment: Invest International Public Programmes (IIPP) is preparing a €150–200M investment decision for coastal protection in Demak and Cirebon.
- Nature-based Solutions: Supported by EcoShape, the project explores hybrid ‘green-grey’ infrastructure to protect communities while enhancing local welfare. The outcomes have been translated into landscape visions for both Cirebon and Demak, serving as a foundation for further discussions with the IIPP Develop2Build project.
The coming period offers concrete opportunities for Dutch and Indonesian organizations to engage, with new programmes and funding instruments currently under development.
Looking Ahead
The webinar reaffirmed that the Dutch-Indonesian partnership is moving from an advisory role towards large-scale implementation.
Want to know more about the presentations and reports from this webinar. You can look at them here:
Reports
Working Group 1: Integrated Water Resilience for North Java. Read the report on Working Group 1.
Working Group 2: Lowland development and Irrigation. Read the report on Working Group 2.
Working Group 3: Knowledge, capacity building & youth engagement. Read the report on Working Group 3.
Working Group 4 :Coastal protection. Read the report on Working Group 4.
Presentations
Presentation Plenary Webinar
Presentation Break-out Working Group 1
Presentation Break-out Working Group 2
Presentation Break-out Working Group 3
Presentation Break-out Working Group 4
In the neighbourhoods along the Juan Angola Canal, a downpour is rarely without consequences. Streets can flood within minutes, and the city has spent years trying to bring urban growth back in step with the landscape. With phase 3 of Water as Leverage, this should take shape for the first time, with detailed designs and implementation roadmaps for paving stones, culverts and mangrove restoration. Furthermore, these plans are genuinely bankable and ready to implement.
What is Water as Leverage?
Water as Leverage (WaL) is a Dutch approach that reverses the usual sequence: rather than having a technical plan first and then looking for support and funding, this approach brings together knowledge, governance, financing, and communities from day one. In multidisciplinary teams of Colombian, Dutch, and international experts, early sketches grow into concrete designs ready for further development.
“It’s the integrated perspective – physical system, ecology, economy, employment, and financing – that makes WaL truly unique,” explains Michel Zuijderwijk from Witteveen+Bos. “You’re not only designing for water, but also for the city and its residents.” Witteveen+Bos is the lead partner of the Roots of Cartagena team, which has been working within the Water as Leverage Cartagena programme.
What is the current status of the WaL Cartagena programme?
During phase 1 which started in February 2023, these two teams explored Cartagena’s bottlenecks and opportunities regarding water and climate adaptation. This produced an initial city outlook and a selection of hotspots where water, public space, and quality of life intersect. At the end of this phase, eleven concepts were on the longlist.
During phase 2, beginning at the end of September that year, this was narrowed down to five serious project candidates and technically underpinned to pre-feasibility. Five local design workshops with local stakeholders proved decisive: specific areas of the Juan Angola Canal were given the green light to continue towards a third phase, with nature-based measures and practical interventions that are easy to scale up.
Colombian delegation’s visit to the Netherlands: three lessons
As the kick-off for the third and final phase of this programme, a Colombian delegation visited the Netherlands to look at waterworks, nature-inclusive projects, and maintenance regimes, such as the Sand Engine near Kijkduin (beach nourishment as coastal protection), Benthemplein Water Square in Rotterdam (urban water storage), and the Marker Wadden islands (nature restoration built with dredged sediment). Wilmer Iriarte Restrepo, Cartagena’s Secretary of Infrastructure, named several key insights to take into the next phase:
- Link flood resilience to public space.
“Look at flood resilience and public space as one entity. Maintenance thus becomes logical and you create pleasant places that residents actually use.” - Let nature do the work.
“From ‘sand motor’ to sluices: harness natural processes and the topography to filter and direct water. Not dogmatically, but flexibly: what works here may work differently elsewhere.” - Keep solutions simple and scale them up.
“Sometimes the best intervention is to give streets a little more slope and install a narrow gutter in the drainage system. Simple in itself, but if applied a thousand times, the cumulative impact is substantial.”
This down-to-earth view aligns with the WaL method: nature-based solutions where possible, hard interventions where necessary. “NBS are never one-size-fits-all,” says Zuijderwijk. “They are context-specific; that’s precisely why you always design together with the place in question.”
The next phase: feasibility studies for the Juan Angola Canal
One project has been selected within WaL Cartagena to proceed to feasibility studies in phase 3: the Juan Angola Canal. The WaL Project Proposal concerns flood resilience and quality of life, upstream and downstream, and is well aligned with local needs and plans. It roughly entails the following:
- Along Juan Angola, the bank would be gradually transformed into a continuous city park. The canal would be given room to breathe: it would be deepened and restored so that water can flow better. A footpath would connect places to linger and steps down to the water; in quieter sections, reed beds, riparian plants, and shallow sheltered zones will attract fish, birds, and insects. This gives rise to a place where flood protection coincides with a pleasant, green route through the neighbourhood.
- Higher up, on the slopes and in the streets, rainwater would be retained. Infiltration cells, green verges, and small storage areas give water time to percolate into the soil, while at strategic points, culverts lead the surplus to the canal in a controlled way. Replanting bare embankments binds the soil and slows erosion, so that less sand and silt reach the lower city. The result would be a chain of simple interventions that together calm the system and make the neighbourhood more liveable.
“I see a lot of methodological overlap between the WaL design and what the municipality is already doing,” says Iriarte. “From the characterisation of the micro-catchment to the idea of public space with footpaths and viewpoints: we’re on the same page. I also recognize innovative elements from the WaL team – for example, ideas related to biodiversity in the canal; we’d like to replicate those.”
What the Netherlands has learned from the WaL Cartagena programme
Barbara Swart, coordinator of bilateral cooperation on water and climate adaptation at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) and lead within Partners for Water, sees in WaL Cartagena exactly what the Netherlands is aiming for with international cooperation: impact on the ground and learning from each other. “It’s great to provide and to collect knowledge,” says Swart. “But above all, we want to see that this knowledge is used: that Cartagena’s residents benefit directly. WaL is integral and inclusive; it is developed together with the communities. That makes it stronger.”
On an earlier visit to the city, she and her team saw the enormous opportunities here. It’s a coastal city where water and climate challenges, public space, and social development converge. That makes the area eminently suitable for projects that not only reduce flood risks, but also regreen neighbourhoods, improve health and quality of life, and strengthen local ownership. Because the city also prioritises these aspects and financiers have been engaged from day one, this paves the way for tangible results in the short term and a scalable route to larger water infrastructure.
She emphasises that this cooperation is a two-way street. “We’re still ‘Nederland Waterland’, a country reclaimed from the water,” says Swart, “but in other regions, extreme rains, heat and drought have been going on longer and are more severe. We can learn from that. A striking example is the principle that water and soil are considered in spatial decisions. The Netherlands and Colombia embedded this in policy around the same time. Then you want to know how it works in practice. Who achieves results faster, and why?”
Financing: early at the table, but with local ownership
From the start, financiers and development banks have been at the table to test whether a design will be bankable later. Swart: “Here we have an intermediary role: bringing parties to the table and hearing their ideas. But ownership lies in Cartagena. The city must determine whom to partner with and how the link to national budgets will work. We’re not the leading party. (…) The most important thing is to produce concrete, bankable packages which financiers can commit to.” Financing resilient urban projects is usually challenging, due to fiscal restrictions in governments, both local and national, emphasises Zuijderwijk.
Final phase
Meanwhile, work continues apace. “In the short term, the municipality would like to push at least one section of the canal design quickly through the approval process,” says Zuijderwijk. “A challenge, but doable. Immediately after, we would elaborate the longer-term measures: hydrological model, impact calculations, environmental frameworks, and the financing mix.” Phase 3 is being shaped with our partners at the municipality, says Swart. “We want to deliver early results and set out the vision and elaboration for the larger water infrastructure project that can be implemented later.”
Participation as a design decision-maker
Social dialogue will be crucial in the period ahead. Iriarte sees an opportunity here. “In phase 3 we can establish methods and forms of social consultation that allow us to systematically gather residents’ ideas, knowledge, and concerns. Neighbours sometimes disagree – you must keep an eye on that. It could be about something small, like where a bridge should be. But that’s where a good solution begins, by accommodating the different parties.” This ties in with one of the aspects Swart finds so inspiring in Colombia: “Embedding indigenous and local knowledge. We have participation in the Netherlands too, but in Colombia you see how self-evident it is that communities co-decide. It works, and it translates into simpler maintenance and tangible ownership.”
What is ultimately at stake?
For Cartagena: fewer floods, more shade and greenery, better access to water and public space, and less sediment washing into the lower city. For the Netherlands: practical knowledge about scaling up nature-inclusive solutions in a tropical coastal city, about financing climate adaptation projects, and about embedding management in community structures. Regarding global cooperation, there is another ambition. “In 2023 we agreed the Water Action Agenda at the UN Water Conference,” says Swart. “This means we need to take action. We talk a lot, but ultimately, it’s about visible results. Because of the effects of climate change the urgency has grown, and I would love it if we could demonstrate what WaL has delivered in concrete terms at the next conference in 2026. This requires a joint acceleration now. To get there, all partners – Cartagena’s authorities, communities, Dutch and international funders, and the WaL consortium – need to accelerate delivery now.”
Find out more about Water as LeverageAhead of Stockholm World Water Week taking place August 25-29, Partners for Water invited three experts from Dutch companies working on water and climate issues, to share their experiences with the Water as Leverage programme. Water may be the root of many problems, but it is also a key solution as well.
Given the climate challenges we face, the interconnectedness between water management, urban planning and climate adaptation has never been more important. Experts like Naomi Hoogervorst, a senior urban planner at UN-Habitat, biologist Eduardo Marin, an associate partner at Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners and renowned Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom, have been at the forefront of ground-breaking solutions that are reshaping how cities interact with their water systems. 
All three of them represent pillars of the Water as Leverage (WaL) programme, an innovative initiative launched by the Dutch government in 2018.
WaL, comprising 3 pillars: the Academy; the Factory and the Initiative, brings together experts, international organisations and regional local partners in a holistic way, to go beyond traditional design, and look at the needs of multiple communities. The WaL Academy promotes knowledge sharing and capacity building. The Factory focuses on implementing water solutions at various levels and the Initiatives introduces specific projects in several locations
A range of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have since been implemented across various projects around the world. In Thailand, the WaL Academy is exploring alternatives to traditional designs for coastal erosion management and Bangkok has started revitalising its canal systems to improve drainage and water quality.
Synthesise perspectives
Biologist and landscape architect Eduardo Marin, is an enthusiastic supporter of the approach to water management advocated by WaL. He describes the role of landscape architects as facilitators who synthesise diverse perspectives, from clients to engineers, to create environmentally and financially viable projects. His work includes developing integrated water management projects that focus on the role of the basic fundamental natural systems as part of the solution needed.
In collaboration with the World Bank, he created the “Catalogue of Nature-based Solutions for Urban Resilience.” Previously, he contributed to Rotterdam’s Water Square, an innovative public space designed to collect and manage rainwater efficiently. He also participated in the design competition “Rebuild by Design” aimed at integrating water management into the future planning of the New York and New Jersey region. Out of the 10 competing teams, the majority were Dutch or Dutch-based companies.
The work of Naomi Hoogervorst, Eduardo Marin and Korch Voraakhom illustrate the growing recognition that water management, urban planning and climate adaptation are inextricably linked.
Mapping water in Cartagena
Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners along with Eduardo Marin started “Roots of Cartagena” in 2023 as part of the multidisciplinary project to find innovative solutions within the Water as Leverage programme. They began by mapping the intricate relationship between water, the environment and the community in the port city of Cartagena on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast. The city’s rapid disproportionate growth and unequal urban expansion led to clogged water systems affecting both the environment and local livelihoods. Rather than simply installing new infrastructure, Marin explains that they introduced a water-plan that emphasises public spaces and natural development as functional water management systems transforming water management from a technical problem into an opportunity for environmental improvement. “The main problem is that in most cases the link between the water cycle and the city is not in balance so water always ends up in the wrong place,” Marin says.
By cleaning and widening canals, planting vegetation and creating parks that can store and utilise water, the whole community can benefit. “In the end, it is about the people who are living there, not about the pipes, dams and pumps.”
This project is a prime example of how WaL can transform a city’s relationship with its water systems. Rather than relying solely on traditional infrastructure solutions, Marin’s team engaged with the community and local stakeholders in developing strategies that are culturally and socially relevant.
Bright future for WaL
Naomi Hoogervorst, a senior planner at UN Habitat’s headquarters in Nairobi became involved with WaL two years ago and has since advocated for the approach that is “so fundamentally different from traditional water management strategies”, explains Hoogervorst. She also notes that the collaboration across institutions and sectors, is often lacking in water management projects. Hoogervorst has been actively promoting sustainable urban development and participatory planning including through the Global Future Cities Program, which aligns urban projects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“It’s not just about engineering solutions,” Hoogervorst explains. “WaL connects water issues with broader social, economic and climate-related challenges”. This approach has led to innovative projects like the Chennai initiative, which combines water catchment and treatment with a school and green spaces, simultaneously addressing multiple community needs.
Hoogervorst is particularly involved with the WaL Factory, focusing on implementing water solutions at various planning levels. Despite financial challenges for scaling up WaL, she envisions a bright future: “We’re aiming to establish WaL as a global programme for the next decade. Water issues require sustained effort and long-term partnerships“, Hoogervorst says. UN-Habitat has been involved in many initiatives. Like the one in the city of Prayagraj, India, near the Ganges, where a workshop marked the launch of WaL with a national river-cleaning initiative as part of the “Namami Gange” project. This flagship programme was launched by the Indian government in June 2014 as part of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to reduce pollution and rejuvenate the Ganga (Ganges) River. Representatives from national, local and regional governments gathered to discuss how collaborative efforts across various jurisdictions could address water issues. Participants, including engineers, talked about not only technological solutions such as water treatment plants, but also the broader impacts of water management on wetlands, flooding and pollution.
The workshop drew parallels to successful projects in other regions, such as Chennai, where innovative collaborations have transformed water infrastructure into multifunctional public spaces.
No hierarchical boundaries
In Thailand, landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom brings a local perspective to the WaL approach. As a participant in the WaL Academy, she saw how the programme impacted her country by reshaping water management and urban planning .
Voraakhom shared that “The Academy provides opportunities for local experts to learn from Dutch water management expertise while adapting solutions to a Thai context.”
She mentions several projects emerging from WaL Academy discussions, including canal systems revitalisation in Bangkok and exploring Nature-based Solutions for coastal erosion in Thailand.
What is most important for her is the opportunity that now exists to communicate without hierarchical boundaries. She sees the Academy as more than just a temporary programme: “It’s about capacity building and changing mindsets, encouraging officials to consider water issues in relation to environment, engineering and livelihoods, not just about drainage.“
The work of Naomi Hoogervorst, Eduardo Marin and Korch Voraakhom illustrate the growing recognition that water management, urban planning and climate adaptation are inextricably linked.
Partners for Water and Water as Leverage
Partners for Water and as Water as Leverage are both programmes facilitated by the Dutch government and carried out by the Netherlands Enterprise and Development Agency (RVO). There is a significant link between these two programmes namely that Partners for Water is co-financing several Water as Leverage initiatives in Cartagena, Colombia and Chennai, India.
WaL will be at the World Water Week in Stockholm (24-29 August) at the NL pavilion
Water as Leverage will be hosting a pre-launch of the City Champion Challenge at the NL pavilion on:
Tuesday 15.00 -16.00
Speakers: Robert Proos, Coordinator Urban Adaptation and Water International Partners for water / Water as Leverage (Netherlands Enterprise and Development Agency), Sabrina Couvin Rodriguez, Advisor Water Governance (Deltares), Asa Jonsson, Head of Global Water Operator’s Partnership Alliance (GWOPA)
Check out our full programme at SWWW 2024.
The city of Cartagena, located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, faces major challenges due to water-related issues such as floods and declining water quality
In order to improve the city’s water system, Colombia and the Netherlands have joined forces as part of the Water as Leverage Cartagena project. Within the International Call for Action, two multidisciplinary teams were selected to address the issues.
The teams will be responsible for co-designing solutions to water and climate change adaptation related challenges. The Water as Leverage Cartagena project aims to address these issues by designing programmes that provide benefits in terms of employment, economy, biodiversity and health. The two multidisciplinary teams for Water as Leverage Cartagena consist of Dutch, Colombian and international experts.
The following organisations are a part of the two respective teams selected consortia:
- The consortium ‘Roots of Cartagena’, consisting of Witteveen+Bos (lead organisation, the Netherlands), Felixx Landscape Architects & Planning (the Netherlands), Aqua & Terra (Colombia), University of Cartagena (Colombia), CSC Strategy & Finance (the Netherlands)
- The consortium ‘Cartagena Con Agua’, consisting of Arcadis Netherlands (lead organisation, the Netherlands), Deltares (the Netherlands), JESyCA (Colombia), Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe (Colombia), Taller Architects (Colombia), Selfinver (Colombia), ONE Architecture (USA), P3 Nomads (the Netherlands)
The selection of the teams was executed by RVO, in consultation with the Water as Leverage Cartagena Advisory Board which consists of the Mayor’s Office of Cartagena, Invest International, the Netherlands’ Embassy and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Colombia, Cartagena
Innovative, integral, implementable and inclusive solutions
The objective of this Water for Leverage Cartagena project is to generate innovative conceptual designs to address climate change adaptation and urban water management challenges in the city. The selected teams will be responsible for generating innovative and inclusive concept designs, developing project proposals to a pre-feasibility level and transforming them into ready-to-tender projects.
The aim is to create inclusive holistic projects, that take into consideration: nature; water and resilience; the exclusion of vulnerable communities; urban planning; transport and mobility; governance and finance. The first phase of the project will start at the end of February 2023 with the completion of the last phase expected to be in January 2025. Work on implementation will continue after that.
Collaboration between the Netherlands and Colombia
Water as Leverage Cartagena is facilitated by the Government of the Netherlands, in partnership with the Alcaldía de Cartagena de Indias, Colombian national authorities and national and international strategic partners. Water as Leverage Cartagena is financed through the ‘Partners for Water 2022 – 2027’ and ‘PSD Toolkit’ programmes.
More about Water as Leverage Cartagena
Watch this video about the challenges the city of Cartagena is facing.
We previously featured an article on the activities of Partners for Water in Colombia. In the city of Cartagena, two multidisciplinary teams are working to improve the city’s water system as part of the ‘Water as Leverage Cartagena – Construyendo con el agua’ programme.
Both teams design strategies and project proposals related to water and climate change challenges. We catch up with Programme Advisor Robert Proos to give an update on the status of the programme.
Since February 2023, the teams have been working on 11 proposals for inclusive, innovative and comprehensive designs to adapt the city to climate change impacts. They do this together with the city of Cartagena, the Colombian government and other stakeholders, including community representatives, the private sector and local academia.
An important focus of the programme is identifying and developing projects which are feasible and impactful. ‘What we notice is that there is often plenty of internationally funds available for the implementation phase of projects’, Robert explains. ‘However, a lot of interesting projects never reach that stage. That is why we want to close the gap between identifying promising projects and matching the available funds for implementation. In order to achieve this, we work together with financial partners such as Invest International and the European Investment Bank.’
Tested method
‘The programme aims to integrate local knowledge and experiences in designing solutions for the city’s challenges’, Robert explains. ‘That means it’s important to involve local communities. By connecting to their contexts, we are enabling inclusion and co-creation.’ This method has been tested and developed in Water as Leverage Asia, in the cities of Semarang (Indonesia), Khulna (Bangladesh) and Chennai (India). Robert adds: ‘The idea is to look beyond technical features. How will the solutions be socially embedded? How can we involve local communities, the private sector and NGO’s?’
Local Design Workshop 3 (September 2023)
Water as Leverage Cartagena
‘We learn about risks, ecosystem vulnerability and the needs of local communities from workshops. By listening and interacting, communities give important information as to how to move forward and at the same time we create broader support for the programme and the proposed projects. By introducing topics like policy and finance, we connect to policy ambitions of local governments and get them talking to potential financiers at an early stage.’
Real differences
Robert feels the integrated approach leads to more results than just siloed, single-focused solutions. ‘The right type of investments in water infrastructure can trigger so much more than just dry feet; integrated projects can improve the livelihoods of the ‘cartageneros’. For example, in addition to improving water management around the Ciènaga de la Vírgen wetland in Cartagena, the communities also see a potential for eco-tourism, supporting their livelihoods in a sustainable way. This type of integration uses water as leverage for the broader development of a city.’
The eleven proposals will soon be further developed and analysed to determine if they’re feasible from a technical, social, environmental and financial standpoint. ‘So, these great projects actually get implemented and the people of Cartagena start to notice real improvements.’
There are two teams working on improving the city’s water system. Why two teams and not one?
‘Of course, we could have gone for one big team with twice the budget’, Robert says. ‘However, what we noticed in other programmes and want to encourage, is that teams learn and get inspired by one another. Doing so creates synergies and new ideas.’
‘Because the teams are structured slightly differently in terms of who is in it, they work from different perspectives and ideas. Having two teams in this way enriches the process as a whole. and allows for greater collaboration with various local as well as Dutch partners. This is a good thing, as there is a lot of interest from the international water and climate sector to work on this programme.’
An ecosystem-based adaptation approach to address sewage overflow, floods and droughts
It’s the essence of the Water Balance Pilot project, carried out at Chennai’s Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the Deaf and the Blind in Chennai, India, by the City of 1000 Tanks team. This Partners for Water-funded project aimed at enhancing water security and has come to a successful conclusion. Now it’s time to scale-up.
The City of 1000 Tanks is a multidisciplinary team and the driving force behind this pilot project. The team was established through Water as Leverage, a programme of the Dutch government spanning across India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
The Water Balance Pilot project is an initiative of Henk Ovink, the Netherlands’ first Special Envoy for International Water Affairs. It is funded by Partners for Water, in partnership with the city of Chennai, UN-Habitat and Resilience Cities Network and supported by the UN High-level Panel on water, amongst others.
Minister K.M. Nehru is being toured around the Water Balance Project by the team leads of City of 1000 Tanks team, accompanied by Mr. Henk Ovink, First Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Little Convent School’s headmistress Sr. M. Jesintha Rosalind, City of 1000 Tanks teamleader Eva Pfannes and Henk Ovink, the Netherlands’ first Special Envoy for International Water Affairs. © Cynthia van Elk
Addressing water security issues
The multidisciplinary team discovered that the campus of the Little Flower Convent (LFC) had three main water issues: sewage overflow, floods during monsoons and drought during summer months. The city of Chennai, where the Convent is located, is also facing similar issues of floods and droughts in the same year and with rapid urbanisation the groundwater levels are severely impacted. Applying a community-led approach, the City of 1000 Tanks demonstrated a sustainable solution which can also be applied in other parts of the city.
The Water Balance project shows what Water as Leverage is all about: delivering a game-changing approach, that is people-centered and community-led aimed at solving the world’s most pressing water challenges. The pioneer project in Chennai demonstrates the value of community-led, Nature-based Solutions by design, that can pave the way for scaling up and replicating: spreading from the city itself and the Ganga basin to the world which is putting the UN Water Action Agenda into practice. Yes, we can do it!”
Blueprint for the city
The project serves as a model for how a city can become water-secure using Nature-based Solutions. It harvests rainwater and treats wastewater before recharging into the underground aquifer through infiltration gardens. Eva Pfannes, Director of Ooze Architects and Urbanists and team leader of City of 1000 Tanks shared details about the project: “The Water Balance Pilot project is the first example that will reach its full potential when replicated in institutions across the city. In parallel, we plan to scale it up through a flagship project in Mylapore.”
Partners for Water
Partners for Water is honoured to make the Water Balance Pilot project financially possible. The objectives of the Partners for Water programme are to encourage knowledge sharing, innovation and an integrated approach. Through these efforts, we strive to contribute to the expansion of sustainable solutions that enhance water security. The City of 1000 Tanks seamlessly exemplifies these principles. The pilot initiative has gathered valuable knowledge and experience that can be harnessed in scaling up this innovative solution across various parts of the city and potentially beyond.
The outcomes of this project can be enjoyed by all at LFC as the sewage infrastructure has been eased, the impact of flooding has been reduced and the local water security in underground aquifers has been strengthened. This project is in line with SDG13 which is to limit and adapt to climate change. Urban cooling and increased biodiversity are additional benefits.
Dual-aquifer recharge wells
Generated by the 300 residents, the Water Balance Pilot project collects 27,000 litres of wastewater per day which is then treated in two stages: the first stage is where two underground anaerobic tanks, rich with microorganisms, work on the pollutants to achieve 80% of the treatment capacity and the following stage is where the water is then allowed to flow through created wetlands with helophytic plants enabling aerobic treatment. No toxic chemicals are used and the project is completely supported by solar power. Bad odours and mosquito breeding are also eliminated.
The treated water is then released to the ground through infiltration gardens. This minimum-maintenance project is equipped to harvest rainwater during Chennai’s short and intense monsoons. Dual-aquifer recharge wells collect, store, filter and finally recharge rainwater to the shallow and deep aquifers.
What is next?
To scale-up the Water Balance project to other parts of the city, the City of 1000 Tanks-team aims to involve the government such as the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Greater Chennai Corporation for the greater good. In order to make Chennai water secure, they also welcome the participation from resident welfare associations, vulnerable communities, CSR partnerships and institutions.
Like many coastal cities, Colombia’s city of Cartagena faces major challenges concerning climate adaptation. For instance, more than a quarter of the city could be affected by flooding by 2040.
As part of the collaboration ‘Water as Leverage Cartagena – Construyendo con el Agua’, two international multidisciplinary teams have started co-designing solutions for water and climate related challenges. Workshops with various stakeholders provided new insights on how to tackle these challenges and improve the city’s water system.
Water as Leverage Cartagena draws on the knowledge of two consortia comprising of a diverse group of experts from the Netherlands, Colombia and other international partners to develop projects that address the city’s water and climate adaptation challenges. In order to increase water security in Cartagena the main goal for these two multidisciplinary teams is to generate innovative and inclusive conceptual designs, as well as to develop project proposals to a pre-feasibility level and transform them into ready-to-tender projects.
Co-creating innovative conceptual designs
Local Design Workshops
On 6 and 7 July 2023, representatives from various sectors, such as academia, private enterprises, NGOs, governments and residents from Cartagena came together to participate in the second Local Design Workshop. Together, they proposed ideas for potential projects to foster sustainable urban planning for climate resilience and integrated water management.
Participants sharing their perspectives during the second Local Design Workshop
Opportunities and challenges
In order to jointly design suitable solutions, the teams highlighted the opportunities and challenges of Cartagena’s water management. One of the opportunities, they noted, is the city’s own ecosystem which includes characteristics similar to other cities such as Venice, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro. The city is surrounded by water, comprising of lakes, wetlands, canals and coastline. Since all of it is interconnected, it makes for a unique aquatic landscape.
The Cartagena ecosystem includes characteristics of cities such as Venice, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro
Given that the impact of climate change is projected to increase the drought and flood vulnerability of the city, the main challenge seems to be to try and coexist with water. In order to do this, it is necessary to reconsider how water functions as the center of urban planning and the engine of economic and social transformation.
Water as Leverage Cartagena
Co-creating water solutions
The central question during the workshops was ‘How can we rethink water as an opportunity, rather than a risk’. The two teams presented a range of innovative designs that included Nature Based Solutions and addressed the city’s challenges related to water and climate management. These designs not only considered flood reduction, but also social, economic and biodiversity issues. The participants shared their perspectives, as well as ideas about the problems in their areas. In the upcoming months, the multidisciplinary teams will continue their work on the conceptual designs and integrate the participants’ feedback. A third workshop is planned in September to present and discuss the revised designs based on the participants suggestions.
Group photo of the two teams and participants of the workshops
Water as Leverage Cartagena
Read more about the start of the Water as Leverage Cartagena project and the two multidisciplinary teams.
More information about Water as Leverage
Partners for Water is a Dutch government programme enhancing water security internationally in long-term cooperation with local partners and the Dutch water sector. By facilitating strategic planning and support in the early stages of innovation, the programme aims to contribute to systemic change for sustainable water management and infrastructure. This is how we initiate impactful changes for a better living environment.
