About Delta Alliance



What is Delta Alliance?
Delta Alliance is an international network that supports collaboration between river delta regions to address common Critical Problems experienced in these locations. Delta Alliance focuses its efforts on four Focus Delta Regions but network members may come from any location.

Critical Problems – Priority issues in focus river delta locations as identified by policy-makers, consultants, and other parties involved in implementation. Critical Problems will be identified by Delta Alliance members, in part at workshops (see Launch Events) and on an on-going basis. They will be the focus of Delta Alliance services and activities. 

Focus Delta Regions – Locations where Delta Alliance activities and services are focused. Additional locations will be added in the future.


Organisation

  • Knowledge for Climate, a government (VROM)-funded research program is funding the launch of Delta Alliance for 18 months (from May 2009 – October 2010). Alterra/ESG has been hired to organize this launch. The plan is for operational Delta Alliance funds to come from national and international organizations. This continuation funding will be sought during the launch phase of the network
  • Advisory Board has been launched, but will continue to grow
  • Secretariat with Alterra/ESG during the launch, managing day-to-day activities and organizing the development of the network
  • An international Governing Board should be in place by the time of the Rotterdam Deltas in Times of Climate Change conference, September 2010
  • Members of the International Advisory Board
    The following individuals have been invited in 2009 to become the initiating members of the international Delta Alliance Advisory Board:

1. Arjan Berkhuysen
World Estuary Alliance		 WWF Netherlands – Head of Freshwater Program
2. Dr. Cees van de Guchte
The Netherlands		 Deltares - Head Climate Change Adaptation and Integrated Flood Management

3. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Minh
Vietnam 

 Vietnam National University, HCMC – Vice-President, International Relations
4. Prof. Dr. Jan Sopaheluwakan
Indonesia		 Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) – Deputy Chairman for Scientific Services

Mission
To increase the efficiency and pace of responses to Critical Problems commonly experienced in river delta regions worldwide, through a network that supports integration of knowledge across disciplines, sectors, and regions, by providing information, supporting integrating activities, and creating a network of dedicated individuals and organizations.


Vision

  • River delta regions worldwide that are resilient
    • Environmentally and economically productive
    • Safe living environments
  • Governments and Authorities with comprehensive strategies for addressing critical problems in conjunction with adaptation to expected climate change
  • Trans-disciplinary and multi-sector research and projects resulting in innovative and valuable problem response options
  • Ideas and examples shared and developed between river delta regions worldwide
  • Rapidly expanding knowledge on how to address critical problems in river delta regions in the face of climate change.


Scope
Critical problems that are faced by river delta regions worldwide will serve as the link that ties members and locations to the network. The Critical Problems that will be the focus of Delta Alliance activities are being identified with initial members, and will be reviewed on an on-going basis to ensure the continued relevance of the network’s activities.

Organizations that will be included in the Delta Alliance network include

  • Government (all levels) and Authorities
  • Private companies
  • Research institutions
  • Non-Governmental Organizations
  • Inter-Governmental Organizations


Regions

San Francisco Bay and Delta, California, USA

  • Largest estuary on the west coast of North America
  • More than 95% of the original tidal marshes have been leveled, now protecting farmland, communities, and infrastructure
  • Supplies water for 23 million people and over 2.8 million hectares of farmland

Rhine Delta,the Netherlands

  • Houses large cities and industrial areas for centuries, but is not immune to problems faced by deltas. In 1953 dikes failed, flooding huge areas of land
  • Sea level rise expected by 2050 will increase the risk of flooding in the port city of Rotterdam by a factor of 10

Mekong and Red River Deltas, Vietnam

  • Mekong consists of 5.5 million hectares of land
  • Most inhabitants are rural farmers/fishers and they produce rice fish and shrimp
  • The smaller Red River Delta is more densely populated and developed

Jakarta, Indonesia

  • 13 rivers run through Jakarta, a city of 8.5 million inhabitants
  • Jakarta is the most vulnerable region in South East Asia to the impacts of climate change
  • The land beneath Jakarta is subsiding at a rate of 1 – 10 cm per year


Information services
The international Delta Alliance network will provide to members the following Information Services

    1. Profiles of Focus Delta Regions
    2. Overview of ongoing and past projects addressing Critical Problems in river delta regions
    3. Overview of research relevant to Critical Problems and response options
    4. Profile and contact information of network members

This information will be accessible to members on the information platform.