The consequences of increasing water demand are discussed at the provincial level
but not at the local level.
In the Eifel-Rur area droughts are not yet seen as a threat to nature. However,
strict EU Natura 2000 requirements can impact the measures taken. EU
Environmental policies seem to play an important role in introducing a more
holistic and synergistic approach to the management of the reservoirs. The water
board has a co-responsibility for nature conservation, as the districts have. In
addition, local groups like the “Salmon initiative” have started actions that were
picked up by the district authorities.
In the area of Groot Salland, the issue of the protection and upgrading of Natura
2000 areas is a central concern. Motivated by fears that the Natura 2000 requirements would block any agricultural development in close proximity to nature areas,
the Overijssel province has reserved a very large budget for measures in and near the
buffer zones, including compensation payments for farmers and if necessary the
buying of land to enable farmers a fresh start elsewhere. Because old extraction
permits are valid indefinitely, it is difficult to use involuntary measures in the buffer
zone. Apart from European-level influence, recent transfer of responsibility from the
national level to the provinces plays a role as well. Another multilevel aspect is
related to the development of a joint irrigation policy by all the water authorities in
the Rhine East subbasin. Whereas in the past, each water authority had its own rules
regarding temporary irrigation bans, now this regulatory framework is similar. The
nature NGOs found the new policy made too much in a rush and thus, with technical
shortcomings. The results were restrictions to new extractions in Natura 2000 areas
as well as the buffer zones. However, the existing extractions are left untouched and
are not even fully known. The water authorities ask the individual farms yearly to
communicate their extraction levels. However, compliance is not monitored.
In France, climate change adaptation, especially with regards to drought, is
mainly a national endeavour. In the Vilaine area, the Water Plan (SAGE) is the
geographically largest in France, and aims to improve the water quality, aquatic
environment and the wetlands in the Vilaine catchment. The Water Plan was created by a local water commission with two geographical subcommittees: one for the
estuary and one for the wetlands. The latter incorporates elements from the 2008
Natura 2000 plan. For the eastern area, it is relevant that the entire catchment is not
regarded anymore a water-sensitive region. As a consequence, the new Water Plan
lost its instruments for drought management. The issue of small hillside reservoirs
was extensively discussed while some feared that what would be initially accepted
for vegetable growth soon would be diverted to irrigate crops like corn and thereby
markedly increase the water demand of the area creating future drought problems
for the wetlands. A further problem mentioned is that local implementation is
difficult since often local politicians are too close to the farmers.
In Somerset, the management of the flood crisis illuminated the inherent levels
and scales of the problem. Though historic collaboration between the various
governance levels of the rather complicated and partially privatized British system,
there was an immediate lack of funding on behalf of the higher authorities. When
the flood crisis struck, local and regional stakeholders retreated. Simultaneously, the
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H. Bressers and U. Stein
but not at the local level.
In the Eifel-Rur area droughts are not yet seen as a threat to nature. However,
strict EU Natura 2000 requirements can impact the measures taken. EU
Environmental policies seem to play an important role in introducing a more
holistic and synergistic approach to the management of the reservoirs. The water
board has a co-responsibility for nature conservation, as the districts have. In
addition, local groups like the “Salmon initiative” have started actions that were
picked up by the district authorities.
In the area of Groot Salland, the issue of the protection and upgrading of Natura
2000 areas is a central concern. Motivated by fears that the Natura 2000 requirements would block any agricultural development in close proximity to nature areas,
the Overijssel province has reserved a very large budget for measures in and near the
buffer zones, including compensation payments for farmers and if necessary the
buying of land to enable farmers a fresh start elsewhere. Because old extraction
permits are valid indefinitely, it is difficult to use involuntary measures in the buffer
zone. Apart from European-level influence, recent transfer of responsibility from the
national level to the provinces plays a role as well. Another multilevel aspect is
related to the development of a joint irrigation policy by all the water authorities in
the Rhine East subbasin. Whereas in the past, each water authority had its own rules
regarding temporary irrigation bans, now this regulatory framework is similar. The
nature NGOs found the new policy made too much in a rush and thus, with technical
shortcomings. The results were restrictions to new extractions in Natura 2000 areas
as well as the buffer zones. However, the existing extractions are left untouched and
are not even fully known. The water authorities ask the individual farms yearly to
communicate their extraction levels. However, compliance is not monitored.
In France, climate change adaptation, especially with regards to drought, is
mainly a national endeavour. In the Vilaine area, the Water Plan (SAGE) is the
geographically largest in France, and aims to improve the water quality, aquatic
environment and the wetlands in the Vilaine catchment. The Water Plan was created by a local water commission with two geographical subcommittees: one for the
estuary and one for the wetlands. The latter incorporates elements from the 2008
Natura 2000 plan. For the eastern area, it is relevant that the entire catchment is not
regarded anymore a water-sensitive region. As a consequence, the new Water Plan
lost its instruments for drought management. The issue of small hillside reservoirs
was extensively discussed while some feared that what would be initially accepted
for vegetable growth soon would be diverted to irrigate crops like corn and thereby
markedly increase the water demand of the area creating future drought problems
for the wetlands. A further problem mentioned is that local implementation is
difficult since often local politicians are too close to the farmers.
In Somerset, the management of the flood crisis illuminated the inherent levels
and scales of the problem. Though historic collaboration between the various
governance levels of the rather complicated and partially privatized British system,
there was an immediate lack of funding on behalf of the higher authorities. When
the flood crisis struck, local and regional stakeholders retreated. Simultaneously, the
238
H. Bressers and U. Stein