Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment

The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment is responsible for mobility policy in the Netherlands and for protection against floods or falling water tables. The knowledge in these areas is actively propagated via forms of collaboration with other countries. In addition, the ministry has various responsibilities at European level. The ministry’s main tasks can be classified as follows: Traffic Traffic via roads, waterways and railways, and by air. Traffic is an ever-present feature of our everyday lives. Water Clean water in the rivers, lakes and the sea. The use of water to prevent falling water tables, as well as protection against high water levels. The directorate-general (DG) for public Works and Water Management (RWS) resorts under the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management in The Netherlands. With a headcount of 12.000 and a yearly budget of € 11.000.000.000 it is by far the greatest DG within the ministry. RWS is responsible for maintaining and administering the main roads and waterways. Rijkswaterstaat is reponsible for dry feet, sufficient and clear water and roads and waterways and safe traffic in The Netherlands. The department of Geo-information and ICT (AGI) services the directorate in the execution of its primary tasks. AGI is the specialist agency responsible for research and consultancy services regarding Geo-information (technology) and information- and communication Technology. AGI supports Rijkswaterstaat by supplying products and services consisting of: Consultancy ICT, Standards and system architectures, development ICT infrastructure, support information systems and networks, graphics and multimedia. Related to geo-information AGI is offering consultancy and services on mapping, geodetic support (surveying, deformation measurements, support for constructing), data collecting through Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry and GPS, geo-information services and geo data infrastructures, geographical analysis (GIS) and presentation (Virtual Reality). Map production activities consist of: · Thematic GI-products (e.g. vegetation maps); · Maintaining NAP: the national height datum in the Netherlands; · Digital Topographical Maps of main roads and waterways ; · Digital Terrain Models · Dune profiles, obstacle detection, et cetera. · Actual Height Model of the Netherlands.