International partnerships

Our knowledge for roads, waterways and water systems does not come to us on its own. Internationally, we co-operate with government organisations in our neighbouring countries (Germany, Belgium, France, England), Sweden as well the USA and China, and we are member of a number of european and global network-organisations. Rijkswaterstaat participated in several European research programmes.

The 2 maps below on mobility and water networks display a selection of these organisations. By clicking on the yellow bars more detailed information becomes available.

International mobility networks

For the Netherlands, cooperation is essential for the effective management of our road and waterborn transport system. European and global cooperation, in the form of exchanging and acquiring knowledge, plays an essential role in this. The Netherlands’ road- and waterways networks are considered to be one of the busiest globally, which require state of the art traffic management and excellent information, to ensure a safe and smooth flow of traffic.

Our transport networks are closely connected to the networks of neighbouring countries and thus an important Trans European multimodal Transport Corridors for people and goods. By working together both within and beyond Europe, we are able to develop, adapt and maintain our transport networks to the highest standards and ensure excellent connections and a cross-border alignment of relevant standards.

The map below shows a clickable selection of our partnerships.

This map of the world shows our worldwide mobility partnerships. There are clickable areas to proceed to the individual programmes. Page Cooperation with the USA on mobility Page European programes Page IALA Page Global Networks Page European Networks Page Cooperation with neighbouring countries Page Bilateral cooperation with China

International water networks

National and international boundaries do not apply to water. For example, water from 9 different countries flows into the North Sea through the river Rhine. The complexity lies in the fact that before water reaches the sea, it is being used in various ways.

All these different interests compete and must be balanced, according to sound European river management principles across the entire watershed. To ensure effective river management, we work closely with other countries in the catchment areas in our rivers, as well as the North Sea as part of the North-Easters section of the Atlantic Ocean.

Some of our major international partnerships are displayed in the clickable map below.

This map of the world shows our worldwide water management partnerships. There are clickable areas to proceed to the individual programmes. Page Cooperation with the USA on water Page International River Committees Page Water emergency management Page Global Networks Page Cooperation with neighbouring countries Page Bilateral agreements with China on water Page International marine cooperation

International environment networks

Good quality of life rests on a safe and liveable environment. Every day Rijkswaterstaat is working on a country with sufficient green space, and enough clean water and drinking water for everyone. We don't do that on our own: in fact, we can't do that on our own. Collaboration is essential. The increasing challenges we face – such as climate change, lack of space and scarcity of raw materials - are global. This demands an international perspective.

By sharing knowledge and comparing methods in various international networks, we can utilise opportunities, regardless of where they arise. Whether it’s about climate change adaptation of roads, soil pollution of the transition towards circular and fair ICT products, we are strengthening the international bonds to improve the quality of life in the Netherlands.

The map below shows a clickable selection of our partnerships.

Page Cooperation with the USA on environment Page European networks Page Global networks Page Global soil networks Page

Office for European Programmes

Rijkswaterstaat Office for European Programmes (Bureau Brussel) is a centre of expertise for European programmes established by Rijkswaterstaat in 2013 and located in Brussels. Its mission is to stimulate, facilitate, and manage the cooperation with our European and other international partners in relation to research and innovation projects.