Spotlights on Nature-based Solutions at the fully packed Asia-Netherlands Water Learning Week

Capacity building by learning together

By working together intensively, the challenges posed by the project teams have been addressed and experiences from a Dutch and international context shared in lectures, interactive sessions and field visits. By jointly discussing challenges and solution options, the teams and experts worked on the solutions and implementation to make them adaptable to the specific project contexts in participating ADB developing member countries (DMCs).

“Seeing is believing”, as one of the participants from Asia pointed out. The intensive week-long programme was deemed very valuable, as the participants stated that they learned a lot from the innovative solutions that the Dutch have been implementing. As can be seen in the video below, many of the participants plan to adopt their new-found knowledge and skills to the benefit of projects in their own respective countries.

Nature-based Solutions

Asia, being the most populous continent, faces unique challenges that vary across its climatic zones. In the face of the increasing impacts of climate change and threats to biodiversity, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) promotes Nature-based Solutions (NBS) to help its developing member countries (DMCs) address climate change risks while protecting the environment and ensuring benefits for people. Watch the video with Norio Saito, the Senior Director of the Asian Development Bank, about the Asia-Netherlands Water Learning Week.

NBS encompasses a spectrum of actions geared towards safeguarding, sustainably managing, and restoring both natural and managed ecosystems. It is receiving increasing attention as it has the potential to provide multiple benefits in a wide range of global sustainable development challenges, from environmental to socio-economic to health challenges. Innovative Dutch technologies and expertise in integrated water management, NBS, and the water-food nexus, as well as collaborative efforts between the Netherlands Government and Dutch organisations and the Asian Development Bank could lead to impactful change in Asian DMCs.

Highlights of the study week

The learning objectives of the Asia Netherlands Water Learning Week (ANWLW) went beyond the technical dimensions of NBS and encompassed aspects like spatial planning, governance, obtaining finance, institutional embedding, policies and regulations, operations and maintenance, biodiversity, digitisation, and private sector engagement. The emphasis was placed on adapting NBS solutions to the unique local contexts of developing member countries.

The fully packed week started with welcome speeches by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, followed by speeches by Norio Saito, ADB’s Sr. Director of Water & Urban Development, and various Dutch organisations. The Asian country delegations' pitches featured their objectives, flagship projects, expectations, and goals. At the well-attended networking reception, the Asian ANWLW participants mingled and shared insights gleaned from their experiences and contexts with Dutch representatives from various sectors, including the public and private sectors, as well as knowledge institutes and NGOs.

During the week, the teams and experts jointly discussed challenges and how to adapt potential solutions to the specific project contexts in their respective countries. Inspirational case studies and field visits to carefully selected locations in Scheveningen, Amsterdam, Delft, Gouda, and Rotterdam enhanced the experience of ‘seeing is believing’. They gave the project teams an understanding that these types of innovative solutions can be effective and supported the larger discussion of feasibility and bankability in the respective countries. Knowledge exchange was a two-way street as the project teams' firsthand experiences and project-specific challenges at the various scales and in different landscapes and contexts led to meaningful discussions.

The delegations gained in-depth knowledge on various aspects such as legal framework and governance and technical Innovations during the masterclasses and inspiration sessions. One of the key takeaways and deliverables was a suite of solutions that can be applied within a variety of technical, governance, financial, legal, and environmental contexts. The collective network of experts, practitioners, and peers from governments, the ADB, academia, and companies, will allow participants to continue exchanging knowledge and providing support well beyond the ANWLW.

Spirit of collaboration

As the Asia Netherlands Water Learning Week came to an end, the participants departed with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. Armed with fresh insights, stronger partnerships, and a shared commitment to sustainability, they returned to their respective communities ready to drive positive change. The ANWLW demonstrated what can be achieved when diverse stakeholders come together with a shared vision in the spirit of collaboration.

NWP's event services

The initiative is a proven concept with a long history. The first Asia Netherlands Water Learning Week took place in 2012, and NWP has been involved since the beginning. NWP offers virtual and in-person study tours and learning weeks that improve and intensify cooperation between countries and among professionals. By supporting knowledge exchange and international collaboration, NWP enables water professionals to work towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and solving global water challenges. NWP also connects the international water sector with its Dutch peers at industry conferences and exhibitions, coordinates the presence of the Dutch water sector at fairs, and uses its network to seek the right participants and speakers at events. Read more about NWP services.