Why Delta Alliance?
River deltas regions may be considered some of the wealthiest places in the world, drawing large populations with their rich environmental resources and strong economic potentials; they are hubs of innovation, biodiversity, industrial and agricultural productivity, and home to some of the world’s fastest growing cities.
Delta regions are also some of the most highly stressed areas in the world, with great competition for land and water use, and experiencing impacts from all activities occurring in the river basin. Natural characteristics of river deltas make them vulnerable to complex problems such as flooding, subsidence, and salt water intrusion. Human impacts increase their vulnerable by reducing natural resilience, introduce additional problems, and devastate vital ecosystems. Both natural and human-built capital are at risk in river delta regions, making their protection essential.
Human populations have inhabited river deltas for thousands of years; during this time many methods for living in and protecting these naturally vulnerable regions have been developed, yet climate change promises to change the natural conditions in these regions and elsewhere at a rate never before experienced by humankind. Climate change is expected to increase the severity of many of the problems faced in river deltas - this combined with increasing stress from economic and population growth make addressing the vulnerabilities of river delta regions truly urgent. New knowledge must be developed in order to respond to levels of stress and a climate that these regions have never dealt with in the past.
Research and investment in addressing the unique challenges of river delta regions are happening in locations around the world. The experiences and research from across river deltas must be shared, and collaborative research must be undertaken to support delta regions in responding quickly and effectively to their mounting challenges. Solutions for the complex problems faced in river delta regions will not be found in one discipline alone, but in combining the knowledge of both hard and social sciences – integration of knowledge across disciplines, sectors, and regions will yield new and critical insights into how best to improve the overall resiliency of river delta regions worldwide.
In spring 2010, Delta Alliance conducted a survey among its members to explore their expectations of an international delta network. Several questions were asked, amongst others concerning the means of communication within the network, membership of the network and funding. An overview of the most important results of the questionnaire you can find here (pdf).