Rijkswaterstaat
Rijkswaterstaat, founded in 1798 as the Bureau voor den Waterstaat, is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the former Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. Its role is the practical execution of the public works and water management, including the construction and maintenance of waterways and roads, and flood protection and prevention. The agency was also involved in the construction of big railway projects such as the Betuweroute and the HSL-Zuid.
The mission of the organisation is: "Rijkswaterstaat is de rijksdienst die werkt aan droge voeten, schoon en voldoende water én aan de vlotte en veilige doorstroming van het verkeer" (Rijkswaterstaat is the national agency that provides dry feet, clean and sufficient water and a quick and safe flow of traffic). The agency is divided in 10 regional, 6 specialist services and 2 special services.
The director-general (DG) of Rijkswaterstaat is as of 1 February 2010 mr. ing. Jan Hendrik Dronkers.
As of January 1, 2006, Rijkswaterstaat is an (executive) agentschap (agency).
Contents
Name
The word 'waterstaat' denotes the condition of an area in relation to the level and the condition of surface and groundwater, including all relevant natural and artificial features.[1] The component 'rijks' translates as 'national'.
Regional services
Rijkswaterstaat is divided in regional services, formerly known as directies. Every regional service is managed by a hoofdingenieur-directeur (HID). The regions are divided in local water- en wegendistricten (water and road districts), formerly known as dienstkringen. In the past, every province had its own regional organisation, but the directies Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe are merged, forming the service Noord-Nederland; and the directies Overijssel and Gelderland are merged to form the service Oost-Nederland. The following regional services exist:
- RWS Noord-Nederland (located in Leeuwarden)
- RWS West Nederland Noord (located in Haarlem)
- RWS IJsselmeergebied (located in Lelystad)
- RWS Oost-Nederland (located in Arnhem)
- RWS Utrecht (located in Utrecht)
- RWS West Nederland Zuid (located in Rotterdam)
- RWS Zeeland (located in Middelburg)
- RWS Noord-Brabant (located in 's-Hertogenbosch)
- RWS Limburg (located in Maastricht)
- RWS Noordzee (located in Rijswijk)
Specialist Services
- Programmes, Projects and Maintenance, RWS PPO (located in Utrecht)
- Major Projects and Maintenance, RWS GPO (located in Utrecht)
- Traffic- and Water Management, RWS VWM (located in Utrecht, Rotterdam and Lelystad)
- Central Information Services, RWS CIV (located in Delft)
- Centre for Corporate services, RWS CD (located in Utrecht)
Projectdirecties (Special Services)
- Room for the River, RWS RVR (located in Utrecht)
Former (specialist) services
- Projectdirectie Maaswerken, Tomorrow's Meuse (located in Maastricht and Roermond). 2003 - 2010
- Projectdirectie HSL-Zuid, High Speed Line South (located in Zoetermeer). 2001 - 2009
- Waterstaatskerken
- Deltadienst
- Rijksdienst voor de IJsselmeerpolders, National Institute for polders in the IJsselmeer
- Rijksinstituut voor Kust en Zee, National Institute for the Coast and Sea (located in The Hague)
- Rijksinstituut voor Integraal Zoetwaterbeheer en Afvalwaterbehandeling, National Institute for integral Fresh Water management and Waste Treatment (located in Lelystad)
- Dienst voor Weg en Waterbouwkunde, Service for Road- and Waterarchitecture (located in Delft)
- Adviesdienst Verkeer en Vervoer, Advisory service Traffic and Transport (located in Delft)
Related Dutch institutes
References
- ↑ Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal.
External links
- Official website www.rijkswaterstaat.nl
- About Rijkswaterstaat as an agency
- Rijkswaterstaat organizational overview
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