Technical Visit to the Netherlands, 25 to 31 August 2019 – Study of Global Practices on Land Reclamation, Coastal Resilience and Spatial Urban Design The HKIE Geotechnical Division has organised a technical visit to the Netherlands between 25 and 31 August 2019. The visit is aimed at enriching Hong Kong engineers’ knowledge on global practices on land reclamation, including coastal flood protection and ecosystem restoration, as well as spatial planning concepts in urban design including smart use of underground space. The day 1 programme was rich. The delegation visited Acradis HQ in Amsterdam, followed by tours of the world’s largest sea locks in IJmuiden, the 2.5 km dyke in Houtribdijk, and Ramspol Balgstuw storm surge barrier. The delegates also met with the National Water Authority (Rijkswaterstaat) in their Lelystad office. It was really a fruitful day, with lots of new and interesting things to see. The Netherlands is a low-lying delta country and more than half of the land is prone to flooding hazard, in particular under the impact of climate change (extreme weather). On Day 2 to Day 4, the delegation visited different coastal protection measures. They also went to a large reclamation site involving creation of a 2000 hectares new land for port extension. The delegation also met with different parties, including the city government, dredgers and research institutes to learn about the urban resilience strategy as well as relevant projects in the Netherlands. The discussions were fruitful with many new insights gained. The tour on Day 5 was inspiring! The delegation participated in a mini-seminar specially designed by ITACUS with the support from PRIVA and World of Walas. The theme was on “Smart Cites, Smart Solutions and Underground Spaces”. It was held at the head office of PRIVA in Zijlweg. Many innovative ideas were introduced, such as indoor farming, algae heating/lighting, smart city design concepts, future urban solutions, etc. 😆 Great thanks for the organisers’ thoughtful arrangement! 👍
