including the Twente region, is that on June 27, 2014 (just before the second GT
site visits to Groot Salland and Vechtstromen) the so-called ZON Declaration (ZON
is an acronym representing: Freshwater supply East Netherlands) was signed by the
provinces of Overijssel, Drenthe and Gelderland, the water authority of the Rhine
East region, municipalities, platforms for regional cooperation, nature organizations, agricultural organizations, drinking water companies and estate owners. In
this declaration they all acknowledge their co-responsibility for “an optimal
availability of freshwater, a responsible use thereof, and the task to make their water
system more resilient for extreme weathers”. This co-responsibility also involves
the preparedness to contribute financially to the cost of the programme. One of the
actions involved is the specification of the water service level that users can expect
in order to “clarify the role and responsibilities of the governments and the risks and
behavioural options for the water users”. The Declaration is seen as a major step
forwards in the collaboration between all partners involved, but also as a “political”
statement to the national political arena that the specific circumstances of the higher
parts of the delta should not be underrepresented in terms of attention and funding.
The declaration was successful in obtaining some funding from the national Delta
programme, though less than hoped for.
9.3 Dry Creeks and Measures Taken in the Twente
Region
9.3.1 Twente’s Drought and Water Scarcity Situation
The following overview will concentrate on the regional level of the Twente region
of Vechtstromen and more specifically on the relatively higher area where all of the
many local pilot projects are located, the northeast and east of Twente. These
projects and other activities and measures in the same area taken together are almost
completely representing the drought resilience policy of the water authority in the
Twente region (Bressers et al. 2015).
In the Twente region, all the drought and water scarcity problems as expressed in
the “higher sandy grounds” initiative are present. Ninety percent of the small creeks
are running dry in summer (Fig. 9.1) and when nothing is done this will probably
increase with climate change (in the first eight months of 2013 rainfall in the
Netherlands was 37 % less than “normal”, seven of the eight months had shortages). It causes for instance complains from both nature organizations and farmers.
Flora and fauna in the creeks die, and surrounding nature is suffering. Yields can
fail and in cities algae bloom can occur. Extraordinary dry years were for instance
2003, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013. But already before, in the period 1994–1996, for
three consecutive years irrigation bans had to be announced.
Desiccation has a great impact on the aquatic nature. Lower groundwater levels
reduce the river discharge with the impact particularly seen in spring and summer
9 The Fragmentation-Coherence Paradox in Twente
185
site visits to Groot Salland and Vechtstromen) the so-called ZON Declaration (ZON
is an acronym representing: Freshwater supply East Netherlands) was signed by the
provinces of Overijssel, Drenthe and Gelderland, the water authority of the Rhine
East region, municipalities, platforms for regional cooperation, nature organizations, agricultural organizations, drinking water companies and estate owners. In
this declaration they all acknowledge their co-responsibility for “an optimal
availability of freshwater, a responsible use thereof, and the task to make their water
system more resilient for extreme weathers”. This co-responsibility also involves
the preparedness to contribute financially to the cost of the programme. One of the
actions involved is the specification of the water service level that users can expect
in order to “clarify the role and responsibilities of the governments and the risks and
behavioural options for the water users”. The Declaration is seen as a major step
forwards in the collaboration between all partners involved, but also as a “political”
statement to the national political arena that the specific circumstances of the higher
parts of the delta should not be underrepresented in terms of attention and funding.
The declaration was successful in obtaining some funding from the national Delta
programme, though less than hoped for.
9.3 Dry Creeks and Measures Taken in the Twente
Region
9.3.1 Twente’s Drought and Water Scarcity Situation
The following overview will concentrate on the regional level of the Twente region
of Vechtstromen and more specifically on the relatively higher area where all of the
many local pilot projects are located, the northeast and east of Twente. These
projects and other activities and measures in the same area taken together are almost
completely representing the drought resilience policy of the water authority in the
Twente region (Bressers et al. 2015).
In the Twente region, all the drought and water scarcity problems as expressed in
the “higher sandy grounds” initiative are present. Ninety percent of the small creeks
are running dry in summer (Fig. 9.1) and when nothing is done this will probably
increase with climate change (in the first eight months of 2013 rainfall in the
Netherlands was 37 % less than “normal”, seven of the eight months had shortages). It causes for instance complains from both nature organizations and farmers.
Flora and fauna in the creeks die, and surrounding nature is suffering. Yields can
fail and in cities algae bloom can occur. Extraordinary dry years were for instance
2003, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013. But already before, in the period 1994–1996, for
three consecutive years irrigation bans had to be announced.
Desiccation has a great impact on the aquatic nature. Lower groundwater levels
reduce the river discharge with the impact particularly seen in spring and summer
9 The Fragmentation-Coherence Paradox in Twente
185