Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to the iconic Afsluitdijk during his official trip to the Netherlands was far more than a ceremonial stopover. At a time when climate change, rising sea levels and water scarcity are emerging as major global challenges, the visit highlights India’s growing focus on long-term water security, flood management and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Accompanied by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, PM Modi toured the massive engineering structure that has protected large parts of the Netherlands from floods for decades while also supporting freshwater storage, inland navigation and renewable energy generation.

The visit also carried strategic significance for India, particularly Gujarat’s long-pending Kalpasar Project, one of the country’s most ambitious proposed water infrastructure plans. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Dutch expertise showcased at the Afsluitdijk could offer valuable lessons for the proposed mega reservoir project across the Gulf of Khambhat.

In a post on X, PM Modi highlighted the importance of learning from Dutch innovations in water management. “An area in which the Netherlands has done pioneering work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this,” PM Modi said.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the visit as an opportunity to deepen Indo-Dutch cooperation in climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure and advanced water engineering technologies.

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Why did PM Modi visit the Afsluitdijk dam?

PM Modi’s visit comes at a time when India is increasingly confronting multiple water-related challenges simultaneously, ranging from urban flooding and rising sea levels to freshwater shortages and salinity intrusion in coastal regions.

For policymakers, the Dutch model offers a practical example of how large-scale infrastructure can integrate flood protection, freshwater conservation, transport connectivity and renewable energy generation within a single long-term strategy.

The Netherlands has spent centuries building sophisticated systems of dams, dikes and storm barriers to protect low-lying regions from flooding. Much of the country lies below sea level, making water management central to its national survival and economic development.

By visiting the Afsluitdijk, PM Modi has signalled India’s interest in adopting global best practices as it plans future climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

What is the Afsluitdijk?

The Afsluitdijk is one of the Netherlands’ most famous engineering achievements. Stretching around 32 kilometres, the barrier dam separates the North Sea from the IJsselmeer freshwater lake and serves as a critical flood defence structure.

Originally completed nearly 80 years ago, the project transformed a vulnerable coastal area into a protected freshwater reservoir while also improving transport connectivity and navigation. Today, the Netherlands is modernising the structure through the “Afsluitdijk 2.0” programme, aimed at preparing it for increasingly extreme weather events linked to climate change.

The upgraded project includes reinforced flood barriers capable of withstanding once-in-10,000-year storms, improved water discharge systems, fish migration passages, renewable energy integration using tidal flows, solar and wind technologies.

Enhanced navigation and transport infrastructure

Dutch authorities estimate the modernisation cost at around €800 million. The project is also viewed globally as an example of multi-functional climate infrastructure that combines environmental protection, water security and economic utility.

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Why the project matters for India

India’s interest in Dutch water engineering is closely linked to Gujarat’s proposed Kalpasar Project, which has remained under discussion for decades. The Kalpasar Project aims to construct a massive dam across the Gulf of Khambhat to create what could become the world’s largest freshwater reservoir in a marine environment.

The proposed reservoir would store nearly 10 billion cubic metres of freshwater sourced from rivers such as the Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati and Dhadar.

The water would then be used for irrigation, drinking water supply, industrial use, flood control and salinity prevention in coastal regions.

The project also includes plans for a 10-lane transport corridor over the dam, potentially reducing travel distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat by over 200 kilometres.

Initially conceived partly as a tidal power project, the revised version now focuses more heavily on freshwater storage and integrated water management.