Hydraulic infrastructure is found where water and land meet – in deltas, coasts, ports and rivers, the areas where most people live and many economic activities are located. So, is it sufficient to consider only the bio-geophysical nature of the environment in designing infrastructures? Here we contend, that the social context is equally important in designing the deltas, coasts, rivers and ports of the future and ensuring their sustainability.

Prof. (em) ir. Tiedo Vellinga shares his experience with the Maasvlakte 2 expansion of the Port of Rotterdam in the following video. The video is a product of the Deltas, Infrastructures & Mobility Initiative of the Delft University of Technology. The port of Rotterdam is located in the Rhine-Meuse delta (Meuse = Maas in Dutch), one of the most urbanised coastal areas in the world.

This video and the following section on Inspiration from the Maasvlakte 2, reflect  learning from the Maasvlakte 2 process on the necessity to move beyond engineering in striving for sustainable development. The natural and social environment also need to be integrated in the design process.