Situated in a delta and fighting an uphill battle with encroaching sea waters since its earliest history, The Netherlands has a long and intimate relationship with water and water management. It is, after all, a country of dykes and canals, and, not least, a major producer of beer. And the brewing of beer requires a guaranteed supply of a great deal of fresh water.

The Dutch monarchy takes a keen and active interest in water-related issues, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange is the closest a member of a European royal house would come to being a water activist. He is young, he is enthusiastic, he is involved. As The Netherlands' water ambassador, he is committed to raising awareness on all issues relating to water. He is patron of the Global Water Partnership and a member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century. He has chaired the World Water Forum which took place in The Hague last year, and speaks enthusiastically of the challenges of the water crisis and of the need for securing the political commitment necessary to meet them, especially at the Earth Summit 2002 in Johannesburg. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN, recently named the Prince of Orange as a member of a Panel of Eminent Persons that will help prepare for the Johannesburg summit and pave the way for its success.

The Prince of Orange said that the Dutch are, even now, grappling with the effects of water on their small country. After the terrible floods of 1953, the country believed that the worst was over, but there is now a dawning realization that climate change increases the risk of flooding and that preventive measures, such as the widening of river beds and the reinforcing of dykes, should be taken sooner rather than later. But the Dutch have a long history of dealing with water. Because the country depends on its extensive system of dykes, and because dykes must be expensively and continuously maintained, the Dutch established water boards as early as the 12th century. As soon as a dyke was built, a water board would be formed to maintain it. It is for that reason that the Dutch have long known that water can be an expensive proposition and that its management must involve entire communities and political entities. Water boards today are autonomous elected local governments, and they are also responsible for managing and maintaining waste water treatment plants, canals and water pumping stations.

The Prince of Orange is optimistic about the prospects of raising water awareness in the world. He travels extensively and makes it a point to attend as many conferences as possible. But this year he has had to curtail his peregrinations and focus on matters closer to home: he is getting married in February, and is happily preparing for the occasion.