The National Water and Climate Knowledge and Innovation Programme (abbreviated to NKWK in Dutch) has been operational since 2015. It elaborates on the knowledge issues identified in the Delta Programme. This Delta Programme is published annually, rising to the challenges facing the Dutch delta. The Netherlands is a low-lying country that abounds in water, such as the sea, the IJsselmeer lake and the rivers. In the west there is a densely populated coastal zone that is home to the Randstad conurbation – the economic heart of the Netherlands. It has a population of 9 million people and accounts for 70 percent of the total income earned. The delta must protect itself against flooding while ensuring a sufficient fresh-water supply at all times. The Netherlands must also prepare for rising sea levels, soil subsidence and higher temperatures.
The initiators behind the NKWK are the Delta Programme Commissioner, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Rijkswaterstaat, the Foundation for Applied Water Research STOWA, Dutch Water Authorities, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), Top Sector Water, Deltares, Wageningen UR, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO, KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) and the business community.