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• Department of Public Works
• Normal Amsterdam Water Level

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Department of Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat)

The Netherlands has been shaped by humans. This is a cliché, but it has much clearer than seems at first sight. There is hardly a single part of the Netherlands left where human intervention cannot be seen – from the polders of North-Holland to the loess landscape in the southern province of Limburg. The battle against the sea has played a major role in the design of the landscape. Without these man-made adjustments, half of the Netherlands would not only be uninhabitable, but also under water.

Nowadays, the battle against sea is executed on a national level by Rijkswaterstaat, which can be compared with the Department of Waterways and Public Works. Rijkswaterstaat manages and maintains all polders, dikes, sluices, and pumping-stations etc. in the Netherlands. The minister of the Ministry of Transport and Waterworks makes use of the work of Rijkswaterstaat. Rijkswaterstaat has fulfilled for two-hundred years an important role in the construction, management and maintenance of the (main) infrastructural works of the Netherlands. In the past, its duty was to look after the dikes. Today, it is responsible for protecting against floods, taking care of the main roads, encouraging traffic safety and developing durable and efficient water systems. In total, about 10,000 people work for the Rijkswaterstaat, divided into 10 regional boards and 6 specialised services. More can be read about the history and duties of Rijkswaterstaat below.