Every drop counts!
Amsterdam has lived with water for more than 700 years. The city was founded in a strategic location on the edge of the river Amstel and the sea in the low-lying delta of the Netherlands. Coping with water challenges is in the DNA of the Netherlands and its capital city Amsterdam. The city has been able to grow to a safe, attractive and economically healthy urban area because of smart investments in control of flood risks and water quality, and in robust water infrastructure. Amsterdam and the Regional Public Water Authority Amstel, Gooi and Vecht have entrusted all their water management in Waternet, a public integral water cycle organisation, for management of drinking water, waste water, surface water and flood control, working in an efficient, sustainable and customer-oriented manner.
Waternet takes the lead in new collaborative platforms working across urban challenges such as climate adaptation and the circular economy. The Amsterdam Rainproof platform is a unique collaborative network of public administration entities, entrepreneurs and citizen initiatives. Together, they are committed to make Amsterdam more resilient to extreme rainfall, both on small and large scales in buildings and gardens as in public areas.