“In January 1916, areas near the by then Southern Sea faced a major storm surge where 19 people died. There were plans for centuries, to cut off the Southern Sea and to create a large lake: the IJsselmeer. The flood lead to the decision to build the Afsluitdijk, which marked the start of 100 years of major works in which the Dutch managed to realise the safest delta in the world. In January 2016, a DIMI congress marked that century and focussed on the next 100 years: the deltas and ports of the future!