The greatest challenge of all time has begun for the Netherlands and deltas worldwide: keeping deltas habitable while the land continues to sink, the sea rises, the weather and discharge regimes become more erratic and we are also faced with a loss of biodiversity.

As a result, deltas are facing complex planning challenges that require an integrated approach to strike a balance between living, working, energy, mobility, nature and agriculture in a changing landscape. Knowledge of water and subsurface systems and understanding of future socio-ecological changes in densely populated delta areas are indispensable for the complex design task that follows.