The North Sea is busier than ever. The area is intensively used for shipping, fisheries, wind farms, nature conservation, and recreation. To organise the use of the North Sea safely and sustainably, reliable data is needed about what is happening on, above, and below the water. Rijkswaterstaat plays a key role in this through the Information Provision at Sea programme (IV op Zee).
A distinctive feature is that sustainability within IV op Zee is not treated as a separate theme but is integrated into information provision itself. For the past two years, the programme has even had its first full‑time sustainability adviser: Lisan Andersen. Together with programme manager Steven Abdoelkhan and others, she works toward a future in which technology, policy, and nature are balanced.
MIVSP: The sustainable foundation of IV op Zee
The backbone of IV op Zee is the Maritime Information Provision Service Point (MIVSP). MIVSP develops, operates, and manages the physical and digital infrastructure in and around offshore wind farms in the North Sea. This infrastructure enables the collection, analysis, and sharing of data with various parties—from wind‑farm developers and ecologists to the Coastguard.
“Collecting information at sea is our core business,” says Andersen. “For example, information about ship movements, weather conditions, and birds and bats flying over the North Sea.”
Ensuring that data collection is carried out sustainably is essential, she emphasizes. After all, every sensor, radar, or measurement pole has an environmental impact.
Lisan Andersen
Smart cooperation for less impact
According to Abdoelkhan, the strength of MIVSP lies in collaboration.
“There are many parties that want to gather and use data about the North Sea, such as wind‑farm developers, ecologists, and the Coastguard. It is cheaper and more sustainable if MIVSP handles this centrally. Otherwise, each party would have to purchase, test, and install their own sensors.”
Lisan adds: “That would create unnecessary additional demand for equipment, more vessel movements, and therefore more emissions in the North Sea.” By organising data collection centrally, Rijkswaterstaat therefore reduces not only costs but also environmental impact.
Research into sustainable management and maintenance
To further strengthen MIVSP’s sustainability, Lisan investigates the environmental impact of sensors.
“One example is the nautical radar used to determine where vessels are sailing in and around wind farms. I map out the radar’s life cycle—from the extraction of raw materials to end‑of‑life processing. This allows you to determine the total environmental burden of the product and understand exactly how the radar affects CO₂ emissions, water, and biodiversity. Knowledge that enables Rijkswaterstaat to make sustainable decisions.”
Steven Abdoelkhan
Looking ahead and daring to innovate
The method Andersen uses is based on the international ISO 14040 standard. This standard describes how to assess the environmental effects of a product or service through a life‑cycle analysis.
Abdoelkhan underlines how innovative this approach is:
“We have never before assessed our management activities against this ISO standard. We hope this will lead to new insights that help us improve our organisation, management cycle, and working methods. If you want to organise long‑term management well, you must look ahead and dare to innovate.”
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainability goes beyond technology alone. Each year, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management reports how its policies and projects contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“One of these goals is actively combating climate change and its impacts,” Lisan explains. “IV op Zee is part of the transition to offshore wind energy. With the programme, we contribute to climate‑resilient infrastructure, such as sensors in and around wind farms. We also gather climate data, such as long‑term water and air temperature. In the report, we give an honest picture: IV op Zee has positive climate effects but also generates CO₂ emissions.”
More sustainable IT within the Central Information Services
In addition to her work for MIVSP and IV op Zee, Andersen focuses on making IT more sustainable within the Central Information Services (CIV) of Rijkswaterstaat.
“I work closely with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to learn how we can make IT within CIV more sustainable, and also how IT can help address broader sustainability challenges. For example, the data centres we use consume a lot of electricity and water—are there ways to make these data centres more sustainable?”
A heart for the long term
Both Andersen and Abdoelkhan look beyond the short term. Their work is about structural change, not quick wins.
“I believe we must take proper care of the Earth,” says Abdoelkhan. “As humanity, we are not doing enough, but maintaining balance with nature is crucial in the long run. Sustainability requires long‑term ambitions and policies. That is exactly why programmes like IV op Zee and MIVSP are so important.”
His colleague shares that view.
“The energy transition has only just begun. IV op Zee and MIVSP started in 2019 and continue to grow. Many more offshore platforms will be built where we will install sensors. It is crucial that we do this sustainably. There is still so much to gain.”
Winning combination
The future of the North Sea calls for smart choices, collaboration, and perseverance. With IV op Zee and MIVSP, Rijkswaterstaat shows that technology and sustainability make a winning combination. By sharing knowledge, measuring environmental impact, and continuously improving, the North Sea remains liveable—now and in the future.