operate at multiple governance levels. This multi-level situation also applies to the
drought-related policies and mechanisms that are relevant for the Salland region.
The national Delta Programme has the ambition to solve the water management
and security problems in the Netherlands. However, in the western regions of the
country surface water is needed for flushing the water to prevent salt intrusion from
the sea, while in the eastern regions, it is mainly used for irrigation. So far it has been
a challenge to address such different and conflicting priorities of different regions.
On request of the Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, the national
Advisory Committee on Water has issued an advice in March 2013, about the
freshwater supply in the Netherlands, partly supporting the preparation of the Delta
Decision Freshwater in 2015, which is part of the national Delta Programme. The
committee regards it a public task to take care that there is and will be sufficient
freshwater for all uses and nature, but this responsibility is bounded. When new big
water users start in relatively vulnerable areas or when they demand water of a specific
quality, it can be reasonable to demand also investments and co-responsibility from
them. Furthermore, the country should prepare for situations in which the supply of
freshwater is less self-evident. For the short run, it might be sufficient to optimize the
water system. Next to that, innovations that lead to less water use and more water
storage need to be furthered. Like with situations of acute flood risk, the committee
also advises to have serious gaming exercises in which real decision makers and
stakeholders practice with drought decision-making under stress to test for instance
the efficacy of the “displacement chain” (verdringingsreeks).
The displacement chain is a policy guideline that stipulates which water uses
gets priority when the freshwater supply cannot satisfy the demands of all uses. In
this chain, the first priority is to prevent irreparable damage to the water system, the
soil (for instance peat layers) or nature. Second in line are the drinking water and
energy production utilities. Third are high value agricultural and industrial production processes and last are the interests of shipping, general agriculture, nature
with resilience, industry, recreation and fishery. The displacement chain is not often
used, since limiting some of the last priority uses, such as the irrigation of agricultural fields and gardens and car washing, has been generally sufficient.
Another relevant mechanism is the national coordination committee for water
distribution (Landelijke Coördinatiecommissie voor de Waterverdeling, LCW).
This committee consists of representatives from the ministry, including the public
works agency, the Union of Water Authorities and the Interprovincial Consultation.
They meet when the water level in the transnational rivers gets lower than certain
values or when even without this being the case there are drought problems in
several regions. Apart from proposing measures (in principle using the displacement chain, but also including fine-tuning of the water system where it can be
regulated) they also issue “drought messages” to over 400 stakeholders whenever
there are possible water shortage problems.
Apart from the Delta Programme, the new policies regarding drought and water
scarcity need to be explained in the upcoming Water Management Plan 2015–2021,
which also needs to respond to the European Water Framework Directive. The
geographical level of this plan is the subbasin of Rhine-East. In the Dutch part of
162
G. Özerol et al.
drought-related policies and mechanisms that are relevant for the Salland region.
The national Delta Programme has the ambition to solve the water management
and security problems in the Netherlands. However, in the western regions of the
country surface water is needed for flushing the water to prevent salt intrusion from
the sea, while in the eastern regions, it is mainly used for irrigation. So far it has been
a challenge to address such different and conflicting priorities of different regions.
On request of the Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, the national
Advisory Committee on Water has issued an advice in March 2013, about the
freshwater supply in the Netherlands, partly supporting the preparation of the Delta
Decision Freshwater in 2015, which is part of the national Delta Programme. The
committee regards it a public task to take care that there is and will be sufficient
freshwater for all uses and nature, but this responsibility is bounded. When new big
water users start in relatively vulnerable areas or when they demand water of a specific
quality, it can be reasonable to demand also investments and co-responsibility from
them. Furthermore, the country should prepare for situations in which the supply of
freshwater is less self-evident. For the short run, it might be sufficient to optimize the
water system. Next to that, innovations that lead to less water use and more water
storage need to be furthered. Like with situations of acute flood risk, the committee
also advises to have serious gaming exercises in which real decision makers and
stakeholders practice with drought decision-making under stress to test for instance
the efficacy of the “displacement chain” (verdringingsreeks).
The displacement chain is a policy guideline that stipulates which water uses
gets priority when the freshwater supply cannot satisfy the demands of all uses. In
this chain, the first priority is to prevent irreparable damage to the water system, the
soil (for instance peat layers) or nature. Second in line are the drinking water and
energy production utilities. Third are high value agricultural and industrial production processes and last are the interests of shipping, general agriculture, nature
with resilience, industry, recreation and fishery. The displacement chain is not often
used, since limiting some of the last priority uses, such as the irrigation of agricultural fields and gardens and car washing, has been generally sufficient.
Another relevant mechanism is the national coordination committee for water
distribution (Landelijke Coördinatiecommissie voor de Waterverdeling, LCW).
This committee consists of representatives from the ministry, including the public
works agency, the Union of Water Authorities and the Interprovincial Consultation.
They meet when the water level in the transnational rivers gets lower than certain
values or when even without this being the case there are drought problems in
several regions. Apart from proposing measures (in principle using the displacement chain, but also including fine-tuning of the water system where it can be
regulated) they also issue “drought messages” to over 400 stakeholders whenever
there are possible water shortage problems.
Apart from the Delta Programme, the new policies regarding drought and water
scarcity need to be explained in the upcoming Water Management Plan 2015–2021,
which also needs to respond to the European Water Framework Directive. The
geographical level of this plan is the subbasin of Rhine-East. In the Dutch part of
162
G. Özerol et al.