1. PORT OF ROTTERDAM

The Rotterdam port and industrial zone fulfils an important role as a hub for international goods flows and as a business location for industry and logistic services. The port and industrial complex is of great significance for the European, national and regional economies.

The aim of the Port of Rotterdam (Havenbedrijf Rotterdam N.V.) is to strengthen the port and industrial complex in Rotterdam. As manager of the port, the Port of Rotterdam leases sites to businesses and bears responsibility for the efficient and safe handling of shipping traffic. The Port of Rotterdam also takes care of the infrastructure of waterways, roads, quays and other facilities for users of the port area. The port is an International centre of trade, transhipment, industry and distribution.

The port offers employment to more than 60,000 people in Rotterdam as well as to an additional 255,000 people in the rest of the country. The direct gross added value of the port and industrial area amounts to 7.7 billion euro. This is 1.9 % of the Dutch Gross National Product.

The port and industrial area spans forty kilometers and runs from the city center to the North Sea. The accessibility for ships with a very deep draught (24 meters) and the excellent hinterland connections by water, road, rail and pipeline make Rotterdam an outstanding logistic hub.

In 2002 some 322 million tons of cargo passed through Rotterdam. This is as much as the numbers two, three and four in Europe – Antwerp, Hamburg and Marseille – combined.
Most of the transhipment entails bulk goods such as oil, chemicals, coal and ores. Rotterdam in addition is Europe’s largest container port. Around the container terminals, there are dozens of firms focusing on the storage, maintenance and repair of empty containers.

Rotterdam plays a very important role in the European import and export market. A significant percentage of the cargo coming into the port is processed in the port. Some examples are the refining of oil, the production of synthetic materials, the striping and stuffing of containers, the putting together of cargo packets et cetera. Then, the (semi-finished) products are moved to large industrial centers elsewhere and to some 350 million Europeans. The port in addition plays an important role in the export of products to European countries overseas and intercontinental destinations such as the United States and the Far East.

There is a large oil and chemical centre. There are also more than 500 ships departures a week. The goods are transported by trucks, trains and boates from the harbour to other destinations. The port of Rotterdam is very important for Germany. This harbour is a Port to the rest of Europe. From Rotterdam, all destinations in Europe can be reached.

On the next page you can see two maps of the port of Rotterdam.

On the next page you can see two maps of the port of Rotterdam

2. THE SEABREX

Since it was founded in 1985, the Ebrex company has seen healthy growth and has become the leading logistics company in the fruit and vegetable sector and a major one in the dry cargo branch at the world’s largest port of Rotterdam. As an all-round independent logistics company, Ebrex offers the required facilities for all kinds of products, whatever their characteristics.
Often the key to success in international trade depends on finding the right company to work with, sharing the same philosophy and interests.
Their philosophy has always been to be the extension of the producer or exporter, so that they regard us as their warehouse and allow us to act as their “eyes” for the European continent.
Ebrex is the extension of the supplier and recipient, offering a dedicated tailor-made package that incorporates all the required services.
Their offices in the Netherlands are located in the port of Rotterdam, at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, at the flower auctions in Aalsmeer and Honselersdijk, Tilburg, Waalwijk and Barendrecht.
Outside the Netherlands, Ebrex offices are found in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Ecuador.

They are specialists in the area of perishables. Fruit and vegetables arriving in the Port of Rotterdam are handled by Seabrex at its own terminals located in the heart of Rotterdam Fruitport. Cargo arriving by air is received by their offices at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.
Products from all over the world are handled. Countries and regions of origin are a.o.: Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Central America, Cuba, United States, Canary Islands, Morocco, South Africa, New Zealand etc. etc. These goods arrive both in specialized reefer ships and reefer containers.
Next to their activities in the port of Rotterdam, they are also involved in joint ventures in terminal operations in other parts of the world, such as in South Africa and Mexico.
80% of the products arriving in the port of Rotterdam are destined outside their country.
The comprehensive services they offer are:
• terminal operations
• forwarding
• quality control
• cold storage
• customs formalities
• distribution
• supply chain management

Flowers, plants and bulbs are products with emotional value, as these products express personal affection. These products are bought “with the eyes”, which implies that the most valuable characteristic of the flower or plant is its appearance. The way these products are handled is therefore very important. Water also plays a roll in this company. The products arrive by boat on the water and sometimes they also leave by boat. The fruits and other products also needed water when they grew on the plants. So if they couldn’t get any water to grow, the fruits could not go to the seabrex and the seabrex didn’t exist.

3. ECT

ECT is the largest and most customer focussed container terminal operator in Europe, handling almost three-quarters of all containers at the port of Rotterdam. All year round, twenty-four hours a day, ECT operates the delta terminal on Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte along the North Sea and the home terminal in the Eemhaven area, near the city centre. Both terminals are under all conditions easily accessible from sea.

ECT is also developing a network of inland terminals to facilitate optimum intermodal transport between Rotterdam and the European hinterland.

Europe Container Terminals bv
Founded	1966
Employees	1,736
ECT is part of the world’s largest container terminal operator Hutchison Port Holdings and also has the Rotterdamse Container Participatiemaatschappij and Stichting Werknemersaandelen ECT as shareholders.
ECT Delta Terminal bv
Europahaven / Amazonehaven
Total area	236 ha
Quay length	3,4 km
Depth	Max. 16,6 m - NAP
Inland shipping
Total area	7.2 ha
Quay length	0,44 km
	3 inland shipping cranes
Rail
Total area	18 ha
	4 rail cranes
Equipment	23 container cranes
	2 inland shipping cranes at deepsea quay
	28 straddle carriers
	22 terminal tractors
	19 multi trailer tractors
	90 multi trailer trains
	4 reach stackers
	183 automated guided vehicles
	99 automated stacking cranes
	2,068 reefer connections
ECT Home Terminal bv
Alexanderhaven
Total area	67 ha
Quay length	1,4 km
Depth	Max. 14,15 m - NAP
Equipment	11 container cranes
	41 straddle carriers
	2 container lift trucks
	7 reach stackers
	31 terminal tractors
	157 container chassis
	4 multi trailer tractors
	15 multi trailer trains
	620 reefer connections (electric)
	228 reefer connections (nitrogin liquid)
Venlo Trade Port
Inland rail terminal
Total area	6,5 ha
Equipment	1 container lift truck
	3 reach stackers
	4 terminal tractors
	40 container chassis
	24 reefer connections (electric)
TCT Belgium bv
Willebroek, Belgium
Total area	4,5 ha
Quay length	0,35 km
Equipment	1 mobile crane
	3 reach stackers
	12 reefer connections (electric)
DeCeTe Duisburger Containerterminal GmbH (27% ECT)
Duisberg, Germany
Total area	13 ha
Quay length	0,9 km
Equipment	3 barge cranes
	4 container lift trucks (up to 16 tons)
	1 container lift truck (35 tons)
	2 reach stackers
	2 terminal tractors
	8 container chassis
Modal Split 2003
ECT bv
Road	51%
Inland Shipping	35%
Rail	14%
ECT Home Terminal bv
Road	60%
Inland Shipping	34%
Rail	6%
ECT Delta Terminal bv
Road	49%
Inland Shipping	35%
Rail	16%

ECT wants to be the most customer-oriented and most profitable container terminal operator with the largest market share in the Hamburg - Le Havre range. The ECT terminals have been designed to accommodate the world's largest container vessels and meet the highest standards of performance. The advanced technology and expert know-how give ECT a major advantage over other European terminals in terms of handling speed, flexibility, reliability and efficiency as well as an optimum price/performance ratio.

Reliable operations

The ECT terminals are accessible from the North Sea in all weathers. Both the Delta Terminal and the Home Terminal make use of the most modern equipment. What distinguishes the Delta Terminal is the high level of automation. Transport from the quay cranes to the stack takes place using unmanned, automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Automated stacking cranes (ASCs) guarantee a highly efficient stacking operation.

4. THE MAESLANT BARRIER

The Maeslant barrier is a method to protect the people against the wather.

The Netherlands is located in a low-lying delta, where large rivers such as the Rhine and IJssel run into the sea. The history of the Netherlands has been determined by the struggle against water. The Flood Disaster in 1953 was a rude awakening for the country. The fatal combination of a north-westerly storm and spring tide resulted in the inundation of large parts of the provinces of Zeeland and South Holland. Over 1800 people died and the flood caused enormous damage to houses and property. Only one conclusion could be drawn: the country was not safe. Measures to prevent a repetition of the disaster were put forward in the form of the Delta Plan. The dykes in Zeeland and South Holland had to be raised to delta level: they had to be capable of withstanding storm surges as much as one and a half metres higher than those during the notorious storm in 1953.

The flood disaster of 1953 brings forward the implementation of plans to seal the outlets to the sea in Southwest Netherlands and to reinforce the waterdefenses along the Western Scheldt and the Rotterdam Waterway. The Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management sets up the Delta Committee. The body of measures proposed by this committee forms the Delta Plan. The aim of the Plan is enhance safety by radically reducing the length of and reinforcing the coastline. These measures are laid down in 1958 in the Delta Act.

The most important measures in the Delta Act

• The Delta Plan involves the construction of large primary dams (30 kilometres in length) in four sea inlets between the Western Scheldt and the New Waterway, together shortening the coastline by 700 kilometres.
• No dams are to be built in the New Waterway and the Western Scheldt, as the seaports of Rotterdam and Antwerp must remain freely accessible. The retaining dikes are to be reinforced.
• The Delta Plan also provides for three dams further inland to facilitate the construction of the primary dams. In addition these dams have a water management function, dividing saltwater and freshwater delta lakes and separating waters with varying water-levels.

The sea inlets in Zeeland are sealed off. With the completion of the Eastern Scheldt Barrier in 1986, the province of Zeeland was safe, but South Holland was not. Soon after the 1953 disaster the dike reinforcements in South Holland proceeded smoothly. In the 1970s, however, the people protested against the elevation of the dikes in urban areas. Under the plans historic buildings would be lost in numerous places. The idea of a movable storm surge barrier - an old plan dating from the 1950s - surfaces again. The choice is: dikes or a storm surge barrier? Following a technical and financial feasibility study, a storm surge barrier was oplid for.

An alternative to dike reinforcements in South Holland is a storm surge barrier. This option turns out to be the most attractive in terms of cost, environmental effects and safety. Furthermore a storm surge barrier can be built more rapidly than dike reinforcements. The environmental impact statement is completed and approved within six months. In 1987 the Dutch government decides that the New Waterway Storm surge barrier should be constructed. The Dutch government asked building contractors to produce a design for the storm surge barrier. Six designs were submitted. The Bouwkombinatie Maeslant Kering (BMK) submitted the winning design.

The storm surge barrier alone is unable to guarantee the safety of South Holland, as seawater can enter the Europort area freely through the seaports. For this reason a supplementary dike reinforcement programme is implemented, with a further barrier (Hartel Barrier). This runs through the Europort area and is known as the Europort Barrier.

Thanks to the New Waterway Storm Surge Barrier the chance of exceedance of a water level in Rotterdam of 3,60m above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum (NAP) is reduced from once every 100 years on average to once every 10,000 years on average.

Financial aspects of the barrier:

Alternative with storm surge barrier	1.45 billion guilders
Alternative without storm surge barrier, (completion of existing dike reinforcement programme)	1.8 billion guilders.
Costs (1987 prices)

Environmental effects barrier vs dike reinforcement:

Impacts human environment	Storm surge barrier	Dike reinforcement
general	less risk of flooding in residential areas lying outside the dikes	-
Rotterdam	limited reinforcement of 2nd Rosestraat/Oostdijk	radical reinforcement of both banks
Dordrecht	comparatively simple reinforcement	complex, integral solution of dike reinforcement and urban renewal
cultural history	limited effects	disturbed cohesion of river, dike and building
nature and countryside	some local effects possible, depending on location of barrier; decline in flooding frequency of certain countryside areas	large scale effects

If a water level of 3.00 metres above NAP is anticipated for Rotterdam the Storm Surge Barrier in the New Waterway has to be closed. In these circumstances the Storm Surge Barrier computer - the Command and Support System (Dutch acronym BOS) instructs the Control System (BES) to shut the barrier. The BES implements the BOS's commands.

In the event of a storm tide, the docks are filled with water, so that the hollow gates start to float and can be turned into the New Waterway. Once the gates meet, the cavities are filled with water and the gates sink to the bottom, thus sealing off the 360 metre-wide opening. After the high water has passed the gates are pumped out and the structure begins to float again. Once it is certain that the next high water will not be another abnormally high one, the two gates are returned to their docks.

When the New Waterway is sealed off it is no longer possible for shipping to pass. The storm-surge barrier will only be closed in extremely bad weather – in probability once every ten years. A test closure will probably be conducted once a year in order to check the equipment. This will be done when there is little shipping. With the rise in sea levels the storm-surge barrier will need to close more frequently in 50 years time, namely once every five years. Normally there is much shipping on the Nieuwe Waterweg off the barrage.

5. FLORA HOLLAND

The Netherlands is the worid's largest producer of cut flowers and plants, and accounts for more than half of the worid's trade in products. This position is partially the resuit of the Flora Holland unique teamwork of producers, auctions and exporters. As market leader, Flora Holland is the linchpin in the whole ornamental plant and flower chain. Five auction locations, 26 auction clocks, a nationally operating Intermediary Office handling (direct) sales away from the clocks and 3000 employees guarantee that growers and dealers, in the Netherlands as weil as in other countries, get the best possible service.

Company

In the past years, Flora Holland has developed into a leading international expertise and trade centre for ornamental plants and horticultural products. Every day the products for this sales market are supplied by a large amount of growers. They do not only come from The Netherlands or Europe, but also from Africa, Israel, South America and Asia. The auctioning of the international supply has become an essential part of a weli-functioning market place with a wide range of products.

Customised work

The 4500 buyers who purchase at Flora Holland can turn to the 26 auction clocks divided over the various locations. lt is also possibie to buy from a distance. Buyers who choose this method can buy at all clocks from their own work place. Buyers can also choose to deal with the Direct Sales Office of the auction. Flora Holland's buyers are in constant need of good cut flowers and plants from all over the worid. So the destination of the products sold at our auction is international. More than 75% of these cut flowers are exported. Flora Holland is growing! In 2000 the co-operation reached a turnover of more than 1700 billion Euro.

6. AMSTERDAM

In 1602, the Dutch East Indian Company was established. This made Amsterdam Europe's leading trade centre and culture flourished.

In 1609, Amsterdam's three central canals were built. The original function of the canals was to transport goods from inland regions to the sea and they also were homesteads for thousands who live on houseboats. Houseboats are very trendy and can be seen on most canals in Amsterdam. Some are availabie for rent, however they have become very expensive due to their popularity.

Today, the canals are used for recreation (boating) and for parades. One of the most popular canal parades is Amsterdam's Gay Pride parade that attracts more than 100,000 spectators straining to see nearly naked men cavorting on, gaily decorated floats. A must do if you're in town!

The Dutch canals still act as sewers for many houseboats, getting flushed out at regular intervals. But for most people they are part of the Dutch landscape.

On March 20, 1602, the representatives of the provinces of the Dutch republic, granted the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC), a rnonopoly on the trade in the East Indies. Its purpose was not only trade; the Company also had to fight the enemies of the Republic and prevent other European nations to enter the East India trade. During its history of 200 years, the VOC became the largest company of its kind, trading spices like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and pepper, and other consumer products like tea, silk and Chinese porcelain.

Her factories or trade centres were world famous: Desjima in Japan, Mokha in Yemen, Surat in Persia and of course Batavia, the Company's headquarter on

lava.

The Shipping-Museum

In the Shipping-Museum of Amsterdam, we visited the rebuilt of the trade-ship "The Amsterdam". There were two sections under the deck. in the deeper one were the goods and the water, the beer and the food for the crew. On the other lower deck, the crew was sleeping and there were the canons. Above deck was on the one side of the mast the section of the captain, his bedroom, his toilet and his living room. The crew wasn't allowed to go in there. On the other side of the mast was the galley,.the helm and the toilet for the crew.

7. PANORAMA MESDAG

Panorama Mesdag is a cylindrical painting, more than 14 meters high and 120 meters in circumference. The sea, the dunes and Scheveningen village was painted by one of the most famous painters of the Hague School, Hendrik Willem Mesdag. It is the oldest 19th century panorama in the world in its original site, and a unique cultural heritage.
It was very nice to see this painting, because it is so big and over whelming. You are surrounded by the biggest painting in Holland and you can look 360 degrees around you.
I experienced the illusion of an unlimited view from the top of a sand-dune, and that was very cool. It was like I really was at the sea. I saw the clouds pass by and the sun break through, because of the glass at the top of the building. I could get the feeling of life as it was in 1881.

- Experience the Panorama Mesdag

The painting has got everything to do with water, because there’s water all around. The economic activities related to water are the boats, who go on a trip for a very long time. That will bring in lots of money. The man who go on the sea earn money to go there.

8. ISW NAALWIJK

The school is situated next to a road. It’s a school for havo and vwo students, so they are smart. About 1200 students are going to this school everyday. That isn’t very much, but the number is growing every year. I think at the end there isn’t enough space anymore. The school-direction is planning to build a new building and it will be there at another spot in Naaldwijk in about 5 to 8 years.

Water played a big part this week in our program. Everywhere we came, we looked and listened very good and wrote down the things we heard about water. Water is a very important thing in our school. If we didn’t have any water, then we couldn’t go to school. We need water for the toilets, to drink, to clean up the building and the tables and everything, and ofcourse the showers at the sportingplace.

We also have problems sometimes with water. This year, we got new emergency-buildings, because there weren’t enough rooms for all the students. But when it rained a lot or it has been snowing very much, the rooms leak and the water comes trough the roof. It’s bad, but it’s also funny, because when it is hot, the water refreshes a lot!