Surat and Rotterdam cooperate to meet urban water challenges

The Municipality of Rotterdam (The Netherlands) will work together with Surat Municipal Corporation (India) on urban water management as part of their IUC programme cooperation, focusing on flood risk management, urban drainage and wastewater management.
With the aid of Rotterdam, Surat will soon apply new flood forecasting and water quantity monitoring models, improve water quality monitoring procedures, and identify possibilities for water storage on rooftops to replenish the groundwater. Through implementing these measures, the city hopes to greatly improve quality of life.
A delegation from Surat visited Rotterdam in early July to see Dutch water practices in person. The city’s expertise in managing water was presented by several organisations such as Research Institute Deltares, Water Company Evides, Consultancy Arcadis, Water Management Company Veolia and Rijkswaterstaat. Site visits were paid to several creative and innovative climate solutions in Rotterdam, such as the water plaza, multifunctional roofs, and an underground water storage facility.
Emile Klep, Director of Urban Planning & Design for the Municipality of Rotterdam, said: “This new partnership between Surat and Rotterdam fits perfectly with the city’s aim to exchange knowledge on sustainable water management and urban planning. Only if cities across the world work together can we achieve a more sustainable world and meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement.”
Both Surat and Rotterdam are part of the 100 Resilient Cities network, which aims to help cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. The City of Surat explicitly asked Rotterdam to support them in solving water challenges in their fast growing city, which is currently home to more than 6 million people.