This project aims to enhance the capabilities of individuals and organisations to develop sustainable strategies for dealing with groundwater extraction, land subsidence and salt water intrusion in the increasingly urbanising Mekong Delta (Vietnam). We will enlarge the knowledge base of stakeholders (including policy makers, water managers and scientists) and work with them to develop and implement innovative tools and technologies in practice and policy. A new integrated delta model will be developed, linking surface water, groundwater and geo-mechanical models, to analyse the interrelated character of groundwater extraction, subsidence levels and salt water intrusion. Together with stakeholders the new and comprehensive model will be constructed and applied to quantify the effects of water management strategies in the Mekong Delta. Stakeholders will analyse and develop adequate strategies by simulating and demonstrating the effects of development scenarios and policy recommendations, such as expressed in the Mekong Delta Plan (2013).

• dr. ir. Gualbert Oude Essink
• prof. dr. Piet Hoekstra
• prof. dr. Esther Stouthamer
• dr. Maarten van der Vegt
• dr. Gilles Erkens

STAR-FLOOD stands for: “STrengthening And Redesigning European FLOOD risk practices: Towards appropriate and resilient flood risk governance arrangements”. This programme was recently awarded a grant of 5.4 Million Euros by the European Union (FP7).

The project is focused on analysing, explaining, evaluating and designing policies to better deal with flood risks from rivers in urban agglomerations across Europe. The results of this ambitious programme are expected to be highly relevant for policies and law at the European, national and regional level and for the development of public-private partnerships.

• prof. dr. Peter Driessen
• dr. ir. Dries Hegger