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Plants
The Floating Pavilion employs the crème de la crème of sustainable technology and is a showpiece for sustainable construction and design. It is heated and cooled using solar energy and surface water, its waste water is purified and reused and plants are used for insulation. "The Nationaal Water Centrum has enabled us to combine forces in the field of water innovation and strengthen our competitive position internationally. It provides an opportunity to present Dutch water expertise to a wide public, both in the Netherlands and abroad," according to Minister Huizinga, who officially opened the pavilion with Mayor Aboutaleb and representatives from the water sector.
Keeping our feet dry
According to Minister Huizinga, "With the Delta Programme, we are adapting our country to the changing climate. I am convinced that there are great benefits to be gained from considering these adaptations and mitigation as part of the same process, i.e. not only reducing CO2 emissions but also ensuring that we can cope with rising water levels in 50 years time - enabling a synergistic effect. Take the Afstluitdijk dike, for example. If this needs to be raised due to rising sea levels anyway, doesn't it make sense to build an osmosis power plant while we're at it?"
City ports
All manner of challenges regarding water - from water safety and water quality to climate change - present themselves in Rotterdam, a city which is also of great economic importance and where the available space is in high demand. A member of the Clinton Climate Initiative, the municipality of Rotterdam is pursuing an ambitious climate policy. The aim is to prepare Rotterdam for rising sea levels and increasing rainfall on the one hand and to radically reduce CO2 emissions on the other. The Floating Pavilion is situated beyond the dikes next to the city ports which are due for large-scale redevelopments. By 2040, there will be space for around 13,000 climate-proof homes, 1200 of which will be on the water. There will also be offices, business parks and educational institutions. Preservation of cultural heritage will be a priority.
Source: VROM
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