context is also elaborated to provide insight to the current milieu, including relevant
actors and relevant economic and social challenges.
In Flanders there are two types of drought sensitive areas. In some parts in the
west the horticulture is so dependent on sufficient quantities of good quality water
that any present or future disruption in the provision of servicing water is likely to
lead to high economic costs. In the higher altitude sandy parts of Flanders that are
dependent on groundwater and rain, drought sensitive nature areas no doubt suffer
from periods of desiccation, such as in adjacent areas in the Netherlands. However,
it is remarkable that how little attention this gets in Flanders.
In the area of Eifel-Rur, nature is very important. Large parts of the area are
covered by woods with the National Park Eifel spanning approximately 110 km
2 .
The national park promotes itself as a “wood and water wilderness”. Preserving a
vulnerable landscape that also attracts tourists is therefore one of the objectives of
the water authority, which cooperates with other actors to achieve beyond its legal
duties. The national park authority was the only actor to mention drought as an
issue threatening this area. Though dryer summers have been the trend across most
of the area, until now no severe droughts have struck the region that endangered the
role of water for nature. There are limits to increasing water levels in the spring in
order to create buffers for dry periods due to the flood protection function of the
reservoirs, which require sufficient retention capacity.
The area of Groot Salland includes a national park that spans 35 km
2 , mainly
consisting of wooded hills and slopes and also areas of heather. A large part of it is
Natura 2000 area. Several smaller Natura 2000 areas are included in the territory
under the water authority. One main concern for the area is the buffer zones, which
enable water levels that are adapted to the envisioned land use (higher levels for
nature, somewhat lower water levels for agriculture). Moreover, groundwater
extractions by drinking water companies and farmers in and directly around the
buffer zones have a direct impact on desiccation of nature and pose a threat to the
quality requirements of nature management under Natura 2000.
In the Vilaine catchment area the centre piece consists of a large wetland area, the
Vilaine and Redon Natura 2000 area spaning 100 km
2 . Oddly, the main threat of
drought for these wetlands is indirect and does not imply desiccation, but flooding.
The Vilaine catchment terminates in a big reservoir adjacent to the sea. The water
levels of the marshes are controlled by this dam. The water level of the reservoir is
adapted to the needs of flood protection and drinking water production and not to the
needs of the wetlands. To protect drinking water reserves and prevent salinization,
especially during relatively dry periods, the water level of the reservoir is kept
up. This has the consequence that during the dry periods the wetlands actually get
largely submerged! The building of the dam and reservoir itself also had big impacts
on the area: without the reservoir the tide impacted the waterways as far as 60
kilometres inland. After the dam was constructed the accumulation of deposits from
the river drove the mussels farming and eels fishery outside the original area. A third
and more common problem for the eastern portion of the area stems from conflicting
water use needs, where irrigated crop agriculture competes with the needs of the
nature areas during dry periods.
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H. Bressers and U. Stein
actors and relevant economic and social challenges.
In Flanders there are two types of drought sensitive areas. In some parts in the
west the horticulture is so dependent on sufficient quantities of good quality water
that any present or future disruption in the provision of servicing water is likely to
lead to high economic costs. In the higher altitude sandy parts of Flanders that are
dependent on groundwater and rain, drought sensitive nature areas no doubt suffer
from periods of desiccation, such as in adjacent areas in the Netherlands. However,
it is remarkable that how little attention this gets in Flanders.
In the area of Eifel-Rur, nature is very important. Large parts of the area are
covered by woods with the National Park Eifel spanning approximately 110 km
2 .
The national park promotes itself as a “wood and water wilderness”. Preserving a
vulnerable landscape that also attracts tourists is therefore one of the objectives of
the water authority, which cooperates with other actors to achieve beyond its legal
duties. The national park authority was the only actor to mention drought as an
issue threatening this area. Though dryer summers have been the trend across most
of the area, until now no severe droughts have struck the region that endangered the
role of water for nature. There are limits to increasing water levels in the spring in
order to create buffers for dry periods due to the flood protection function of the
reservoirs, which require sufficient retention capacity.
The area of Groot Salland includes a national park that spans 35 km
2 , mainly
consisting of wooded hills and slopes and also areas of heather. A large part of it is
Natura 2000 area. Several smaller Natura 2000 areas are included in the territory
under the water authority. One main concern for the area is the buffer zones, which
enable water levels that are adapted to the envisioned land use (higher levels for
nature, somewhat lower water levels for agriculture). Moreover, groundwater
extractions by drinking water companies and farmers in and directly around the
buffer zones have a direct impact on desiccation of nature and pose a threat to the
quality requirements of nature management under Natura 2000.
In the Vilaine catchment area the centre piece consists of a large wetland area, the
Vilaine and Redon Natura 2000 area spaning 100 km
2 . Oddly, the main threat of
drought for these wetlands is indirect and does not imply desiccation, but flooding.
The Vilaine catchment terminates in a big reservoir adjacent to the sea. The water
levels of the marshes are controlled by this dam. The water level of the reservoir is
adapted to the needs of flood protection and drinking water production and not to the
needs of the wetlands. To protect drinking water reserves and prevent salinization,
especially during relatively dry periods, the water level of the reservoir is kept
up. This has the consequence that during the dry periods the wetlands actually get
largely submerged! The building of the dam and reservoir itself also had big impacts
on the area: without the reservoir the tide impacted the waterways as far as 60
kilometres inland. After the dam was constructed the accumulation of deposits from
the river drove the mussels farming and eels fishery outside the original area. A third
and more common problem for the eastern portion of the area stems from conflicting
water use needs, where irrigated crop agriculture competes with the needs of the
nature areas during dry periods.
232
H. Bressers and U. Stein