A delegation of political and technical representatives from the Netherlands have visited the Vega Baja in a day organised by the General Directorate of Water of the Generalitat, also within the framework of the Vega Renhace Plan. The purpose of this visit has been to share knowledge in the field of hydraulic infrastructures and water use.
On the one hand, the experts from the Vega Baja wanted to share in their historical experience in the field of floods, and on the other hand, they are provided with the knowledge from here on desalination and the use and reuse of water.
The first act consisted of an exhibition and explanation of the context of the region in terms of floods, hydraulic infrastructures and water use, in the Fernando de Loazes library and Orihuela Historical Archive. The head of the Area of Projects and Works of the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, Carlos Marco, and the technician of the Urban Infrastructure Service of the General Directorate of Water of the Generalitat, Jordi Marín, have been in charge of explaining the technical issues and the context.
The president of North Holland, Arthur Van Dijk, has highlighted in the first place “the way in which water is treated and used here”. In the Netherlands, he added, “we are also concerned about water, floods, torrential rains, for agriculture, for drinking… This visit is an opportunity to learn from each other, sharing knowledge, because one of the factors of climate change is precisely the change of time, and this visit gives us the opportunity to solve problems that we see now and that will come in the future”.
For his part, the General Director of Water of the Generalitat, Manuel Aldeguer, stressed that “it is very important that a fluid relationship and exchange of knowledge and concerns is being created with the Netherlands, which has extensive experience in water issues, in the same way than the knowledge that we can contribute”. He added that it is “a matter of primary interest for the government and citizens in this region, that we suffer water problems both from floods, where they are experts, and in matters of supply and drought, where we have extensive experience”. Aldeguer has explained that although the Netherlands has a lot of water, they are also interested in learning about our experiences in desalination”.
In May 2022, technicians from the General Directorate for Water had the opportunity to visit the existing hydraulic infrastructures in the North Holland region. Many of these infrastructures are dedicated to combating flooding problems that, due to the low slope of the land and the proximity of the sea, they share with various areas of the Valencian Community, especially the flatter areas of Vega Baja del Segura. Within the framework of this exchange of knowledge, a growing interest in hydraulic infrastructures that are currently in the design or execution phase by the General Directorate of Water of the Generalitat, especially those dedicated to efficient management of water resources.
