Our organisation

The employees of Rijkswaterstaat dedicate themselves to achieving that every day. With more than 200 years of expertise in planning the country’s infrastructure, we know that our task involves more than executing projects on the roads and waterways. It is also about balancing the interests of the economy, the environment and quality of life.

Working together

We involve citizens in shaping their living environment and work closely with (international) organisations such as water boards, municipalities, companies and research institutes. Together, we all work on sustainable solutions to promote safety, mobility and the quality of life in the Netherlands.

Within the Rijkswaterstaat organisation, we want to be inclusive. An organisation that offers room to all; one that utilises the strength embodied in the diversity of its employees to achieve better results for the Netherlands, together. Our aim is for our workforce to be a reflection of the working population of the Netherlands. 

So apart from your individual qualities, talents and motivation you also contribute your age, orientation, cultural background or occupational handicap. Whoever you are, you are welcome!

Mission statement

Rijkswaterstaat is the executive agency of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. We manage and develop the main road network and waterway network plus the main water systems. We endeavour to create a sustainable living environment.

We work with others to ensure that the country is protected against flooding, that there is sufficient green space and an adequate supply of clean water, and that the citizens of the Netherlands are able to travel quickly and safely from A to B. Jointly promoting safety, mobility and the quality of life in the Netherlands is what Rijkswaterstaat stands for.

We don't do that on our own: in fact, we can't do that on our own. Collaboration is essential. At local level, regional level, national level and... international level. The largest aspect of the policy and its implementation in the Netherlands is formed by the legal and regulatory framework of the EU. 

The increasing challenges – such as climate change, lack of space and scarcity of raw materials - are global. Traffic and water don't stop at national borders, after all.

Time to take an international perspective

It might not always be noticeable, but much of the world we live in is interconnected. Water, roads, economies, ecosystems. There are all sorts of networks that inseparably link countries to each other. So we can't limit ourselves to thinking from a national point of view. This demands an international perspective.

Rijkswaterstaat’s international aim

So we ensure that we source knowledge from over the border and bring it back, that we develop knowledge together with international partners and that our knowledge can be found. People here in the Netherlands face the same challenges as those in other countries. 

They, too, have headaches trying to find answers to issues like extreme high-water levels and drought. And what those issues mean for the distribution of water, and the security of the flood barriers that protect us. We gather all that knowledge. After all, 7 billion people know more than 17 million.

In addition, we offer our colleagues at Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management advice and support on complex European grant applications by means of the Rijkswaterstaat Office for European Programmes (Bureau Brussel). No easy task: this often involves tens of millions in co-financing.

And by being active at an international level, we ensure that we can identify significant changes in good time. So we can act on them and play an important role where developments such as climate, smart mobility and circularity are concerned, as well as in the provision of data and information. 

In terms of surface area and population, our country may be small, but the Netherlands is a major player at international level, thanks to Rijkswaterstaat and others. A sturdy partner that brings a lot to the table.

Rijkswaterstaat tomorrow and into the future

Our international collaboration in the present is often about both tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. If we miss that one encounter there won't be any immediate consequences, but we may find ourselves at a disadvantage further down the line. By being pro-active now, we're prepared for the future.

Thanks to international collaboration in the past, for instance, we are now working with self-repairing asphalt. Through yesterday's international research we see that motorists in Europe are now driving vehicles with quiet tyres. 

And, thanks to a European project, we will be able to monitor the quality of sea water with the help of satellites: more effective and efficient.

Working boundlessly

We want to utilise opportunities, regardless of where they arise. So we are working together, boundlessly, and we are strengthening the international bonds to make the Netherlands even safer, with greater quality of life and improved access to mobility.

Cooperating to promote safety, mobility and the quality of life in the Netherlands. That is the mission of Rijkswaterstaat