Page 54 - Bulletin, Vol.83 No.2, September 2024

EDITORIAL

Well, that's the end of the summer, a summer that wasn't really a summer at all. What
will we learn from it, apart from the certainty that climate change is here to stay (despite
the claims of the climato-septics), and that major development work will be needed in
every country to avoid repeated disasters.

Holland has taken the lead and is often cited as an example.

We have to remain prepared for climate change," explains Peter Glas, Delta Plan
Commissioner, at Rijkswaterstaat. His new battle plan, presented on 9 November, runs
until 2032 and is unlikely to be overturned by the next government after the elections on
22 November. For water management, it is important to focus on the long term. He
claims that it is technically possible to protect the Netherlands against a 3m rise in sea
level. In other words, the worst-case scenario envisaged by science for 2100."

But this work is not without consequences, far from it.

Countries like the Pacific Islands are calling for help. And even on the shores of the
Mediterranean, you can see that the water is rising and levelling the quays.

But there's still plenty to celebrate along the banks of Lake Geneva. It's a great, friendly
place to be!

Meanwhile, elsewhere, people are fighting to take over the reins of governments that
will have to square the circle: changing landscapes while respecting local populations.
Or even worse: finding oneself with a country that has lost part of its surface area
because we haven't acted fast enough. Good luck to you all!

52 AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 83 No. 2, 2024-09

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