NWP brings Dutch water sector and Minister Sjoerdsma together for strategic international water cooperation

The meeting brought together representatives from across the Dutch water sector: Toine Ramaker of VEI; Joris Bengevoord of Brabantse Delta Water Authority and the Dutch Water Authorities; Bianca Peters of Deltares; Anne Loes Nillesen of Defacto Urbanism and Delft University of Technology; Lisa Brand of LG Sonic; Michel Riemersma of Haskoning; and, Jacob Jan Vreugdenhil of Woord & Daad. NWP was represented by Rick Elmendorp, Director & Chair, who moderated the discussion, while Henk Nieboer, Chair of NWP’s Advisory Board, also took part.

The participants came from across the water sector and related disciplines, bringing together public and private sector organisations, knowledge institutions and civil society – in line with the collaborative Dutch Diamond approach.

From recommendations to dialogue

The meeting followed the joint letter that NWP and a broad coalition of partners sent to the House of Representatives in March 2026. Since 2024, NWP has been leading advocacy activities with the Dutch Parliament on behalf of the internationally active Dutch water sector. The letter brought this work together in 10 recommendations for making international water management a strategic priority in Dutch foreign policy.

The recommendations called for water to be structurally embedded in foreign policy and for a renewed Netherlands International Water Ambition beyond 2030. They advocated long-term engagement in priority countries, supported by strong embassies with water expertise, and explicitly called for international water budgets to be safeguarded. 

The letter also put the Dutch Diamond at the centre. It called for stronger cooperation between government, businesses, knowledge institutions and civil society, and specifically stressed the need to safeguard the role of civil society organisations, given their contribution to local capacity, contextual knowledge and lasting impact.

Other recommendations focused on improving access to Dutch, European and multilateral finance; continuing investment in water innovation and scaling it internationally; strengthening reciprocal knowledge exchange; and, strategically using international platforms such as the UN Water Conference to position the Netherlands, Dutch expertise and partnerships.

These priorities align closely with the Minister’s own policy agenda. His 2026 policy letter emphasises stronger international partnerships, a reinforced diplomatic network and the connection between development cooperation, trade and investment. It also identifies the Dutch Diamond as an instrument for bringing together businesses, financial institutions, knowledge institutions and civil society around areas including climate adaptation, water management and food security.

Three messages at the heart of the conversation

The discussion with the Minister centred around three connected propositions.

First, water can help position the Netherlands internationally. Water is not only a global challenge in which the Netherlands has much to offer. Because it is closely connected to economic development, food security, climate resilience, security and good governance, water provides a tangible basis for building strategic and long-term relationships with other countries.

These relationships are also reciprocal. International cooperation gives the Netherlands access to knowledge, products, approaches and experience developed elsewhere – insights that can help strengthen the knowledge base and solutions the Netherlands itself needs to address in its own water challenges.

Second, equitable cooperation can lead to sustainable local market development. This means starting with local needs rather than exporting ready-made Dutch solutions, and investing over time in local knowledge, institutions, governance and financing. Stronger local institutions can then develop projects, attract investment and increasingly operate independently.

Third, the Dutch Diamond is a distinctive Dutch strength. The Netherlands’ international position is not built on technology alone, but also on its ability to connect public authorities, companies, knowledge institutions and civil society around complex challenges, and working in partnership with local actors.

Turning long-term partnerships into impact

The Dutch water sector already has an extensive international foundation on which to build.

Programmes such as WaterWorX and the Blue Deal connect Dutch water organisations with partners around the world, combining capacity development and knowledge exchange with practical improvements to water management and local institutions. The relationships and networks built through these partnerships can also provide a foundation for further investment and economic cooperation.

This gives the Netherlands the opportunity to connect four elements more effectively: local needs, Dutch partnerships and expertise, local market development, and the substantial international financing available through multilateral development banks, climate funds and European instruments.

Several examples discussed with the Minister illustrated what this can mean in practice.

In Oman, long-standing cooperation has evolved from government-to-government engagement into a broader partnership involving knowledge institutions and businesses. This cooperation has contributed to several important milestones, including a state visit, a new Memorandum of Understanding on water resources management, and the development of a joint water agenda with a concrete roadmap for future cooperation. The MoU, signed earlier this year by Minister Sjoerdsma, further formalises bilateral cooperation in areas such as water management, integrated planning, governance, capacity development and technology, and strengthens the ongoing work of the Oman-Netherlands Water Taskforce.

In Ukraine, Dutch drinking water companies work through WaterWorX with seven Ukrainian water utilities, five of them close to the frontline. Alongside restoring water and sanitation services, the partnership is working on energy efficiency, training and investment planning. In Lviv, the collaboration with IHE Delft and other partners is building local training capacity, while Haskoning and local consultants are working on investment plans that could help mobilise future financing.

And in Kenya, years of cooperation between Dutch drinking water companies and the water utility in Naivasha have created trusted relationships and detailed knowledge of local needs. As Naivasha develops as an economic corridor, a Dutch coalition involving VEI/WaterWorX, Haskoning, Rebel and Invest International is exploring how this foundation can support new water infrastructure and investment.

These examples demonstrate how water cooperation can evolve from projects into long-term relationships that combine local impact, stronger institutions, diplomacy, investment and market development.

Minister: good water management is in the Netherlands’ direct interest

Following the meeting, Minister Sjoerdsma reflected on the discussion in a LinkedIn post. He described water as a precondition for security, food security, energy, public health, gender equality and economic development, while pointing to the increasing pressure on water systems caused by climate change, water scarcity and pollution.

He also emphasised the connection with the Netherlands’ own interests: good water management can reduce risks of instability and conflict, strengthen climate resilience and sustainable partnerships, reinforce trade chains, create economic opportunities, and reduce vulnerabilities.

The Minister specifically highlighted the Dutch Diamond as one of the Netherlands’ strengths: cooperation between public organisations, businesses, civil society organisations and knowledge institutions. He noted that by connecting local knowledge and international expertise with innovation and entrepreneurship, the Netherlands can contribute to solutions for urgent water challenges while creating sustainable impact and new opportunities for the Dutch water sector.

Continuing the dialogue

The positive and open exchange showed considerable common ground between the Minister’s international agenda and the goals put forward by the Dutch water sector.

For NWP, the meeting marks another step in the ongoing dialogue with the Government and Parliament that started in 2024. The task now is to translate that common ground into action: build long-term and equitable partnerships; safeguard the knowledge and programmes that make these partnerships possible; mobilise international finance; and, use the Dutch Diamond more strategically.

The launch of the new Dutch Diamond Partnerships (DDP) programme the following day provides a timely example of this approach in practice. Commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DDP brings together organisations from across the Dutch water and food sectors and beyond to develop partnerships that contribute to sustainable and climate-friendly change.

NWP will continue to bring the sector together around this agenda and advocate for water as a foundation for international cooperation that creates lasting value, both for partner countries and for the Netherlands.