A story about the eternal Dutch battle against water
RIJKSWATERSTAAT
Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) is the executive agency of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands, until 2010 known as Traffic and Water Management. It was founded in 1848 and is the successor of the Bureau voor den Waterstaat, which existed since 1798. The organization manages and develops the main roads, main waterways and main water systems on behalf of the ministry. The main tasks of the service are to work on the smooth and safe flow of traffic (“dry water management”), the maintenance and improvement of the waterway system (“wet water management”) and the protection against floods. Michèle Blom has been the director-general (DG) since 15 May 2017, making her the successor to Jan Hendrik Dronkers.
Rijkswaterstaat had approximately 9,200 employees at the end of 2017. The organization is made up of a central organization (including the board and management staff) and organizational units that operate regionally or nationally.