9.2 Dutch Drought Policy and the Needs of the “High
and Sandy” Eastern Netherlands
In this section, we will describe a number of issues regarding drought governance in
the Netherlands. Hereby, we will concentrate on what is relevant for the kind of
drought and water scarcity problems that are typical for the part of the country that
is dependent of rain water and ground water (like most of Twente) and the kind of
preparatory drought resilience measures that are part of the DROP pilot projects in
Twente. Thus, we will not discuss the possible water shortages to flush polder water
ways in the west of the country to avoid salinization. Neither will we discuss the
Dutch policies on the prioritization of water needs in times of urgent water scarcity
and the management of irrigation. This subject has already been discussed in the
previous chapter on the Dutch Salland region.
During the 1980s, the major environmental policy themes were mentioned in
Dutch government white papers. This was the first time that drought was recognized in Dutch policy as a major issue, labelled as the theme of “desiccation”. The
emphasis was completely on the decrease in vitality of inland wetlands. The
recognition of the problem at a national policy level did, however, not result in
effective measures that solved or even stopped the gradual worsening of the
problem. Furthermore, the more extreme weather conditions that are related to
climate change are further increasing the vulnerability. Nevertheless, until recently
almost all attention went to the risks of floods, not so much the risk of droughts and
water scarcity. Perhaps not strange in a country where 55 % of the land is in
principle flood prone. It is only recently that the already ongoing damages caused
by drought receive more widespread attention.
In the white paper that started the reassessment of Dutch water management, the
report by the Delta Committee of 2008 (Deltacommissie 2008: Samen werken met
water, p. 71), there was just half a page of attention for the problematic of the
“higher sand grounds”. The committee plead for increasing use efficiency and more
buffering of (rain) water and points to two investment programmes to enable this.
While in the beginning the water authorities in the east and south of the country felt
that their problematic did not receive sufficient attention, they cooperated to
develop a “Deltaplan for the higher sand grounds” and organized a major conference with hundreds of people in 2012 issuing a manifesto “Water op de hoogte”
(Water at the high level). Thereafter, attention for drought issues increased.
It was in June 2012 that the water authorities in Rhine East, together with their
colleagues in the south of the Netherlands organized a big symposium Hoog en
Droog (“High and Dry”) where some six hundred people from involved governments, consultancies, business and NGO’s participated, including the Delta
Commissioner that steers the Delta Programming process. Here, a manifesto was
presented in which attention for the special water management problematic of the
higher parts of the delta was asked and further efforts and collaboration of all water
authorities, provinces, municipalities and other societal organizations involved were
announced. This impressive meeting had a real impact on the Delta Programming
182
H. Bressers et al.
and Sandy” Eastern Netherlands
In this section, we will describe a number of issues regarding drought governance in
the Netherlands. Hereby, we will concentrate on what is relevant for the kind of
drought and water scarcity problems that are typical for the part of the country that
is dependent of rain water and ground water (like most of Twente) and the kind of
preparatory drought resilience measures that are part of the DROP pilot projects in
Twente. Thus, we will not discuss the possible water shortages to flush polder water
ways in the west of the country to avoid salinization. Neither will we discuss the
Dutch policies on the prioritization of water needs in times of urgent water scarcity
and the management of irrigation. This subject has already been discussed in the
previous chapter on the Dutch Salland region.
During the 1980s, the major environmental policy themes were mentioned in
Dutch government white papers. This was the first time that drought was recognized in Dutch policy as a major issue, labelled as the theme of “desiccation”. The
emphasis was completely on the decrease in vitality of inland wetlands. The
recognition of the problem at a national policy level did, however, not result in
effective measures that solved or even stopped the gradual worsening of the
problem. Furthermore, the more extreme weather conditions that are related to
climate change are further increasing the vulnerability. Nevertheless, until recently
almost all attention went to the risks of floods, not so much the risk of droughts and
water scarcity. Perhaps not strange in a country where 55 % of the land is in
principle flood prone. It is only recently that the already ongoing damages caused
by drought receive more widespread attention.
In the white paper that started the reassessment of Dutch water management, the
report by the Delta Committee of 2008 (Deltacommissie 2008: Samen werken met
water, p. 71), there was just half a page of attention for the problematic of the
“higher sand grounds”. The committee plead for increasing use efficiency and more
buffering of (rain) water and points to two investment programmes to enable this.
While in the beginning the water authorities in the east and south of the country felt
that their problematic did not receive sufficient attention, they cooperated to
develop a “Deltaplan for the higher sand grounds” and organized a major conference with hundreds of people in 2012 issuing a manifesto “Water op de hoogte”
(Water at the high level). Thereafter, attention for drought issues increased.
It was in June 2012 that the water authorities in Rhine East, together with their
colleagues in the south of the Netherlands organized a big symposium Hoog en
Droog (“High and Dry”) where some six hundred people from involved governments, consultancies, business and NGO’s participated, including the Delta
Commissioner that steers the Delta Programming process. Here, a manifesto was
presented in which attention for the special water management problematic of the
higher parts of the delta was asked and further efforts and collaboration of all water
authorities, provinces, municipalities and other societal organizations involved were
announced. This impressive meeting had a real impact on the Delta Programming
182
H. Bressers et al.