brook restoration measures were carried out, such as removing drainage systems,
muting ditches, shoaling streams, and constructing water storage areas. Apart from
that, water management plans were written for local farmers to aid drought adaptation on parcel level, and two studies were conducted (one about level-dependent
drainage and one on surface run-off). In the region Salland, also in the Netherlands,
two structures were built as part of a larger plan where the double-edged sword of
too much water and too little water is addressed simultaneously by a set of structures that combine discharge and pumping functions. The project also paid attention
to optimization of water management. In the region Flanders, Belgium, instruments
for drought monitoring and impact modelling were set up, combined with information provision on drought. This resulted in among others the inclusion of drought
as one of the four main themes on a web portal, where the developed drought
indicators are published and disseminated.
In the region Eifel-Rur, Germany, the focus was on preventing deterioration of
water quality in the water reservoir system. This was done by investigating possible
changes in the inflow over the last decades, to see if trends could be distinguished.
Based on this study, the management plans for discharge downstream of the
reservoir system can be checked and if necessary adapted. In the region Brittany,
France, two strands of work were carried out. The practice partner developed an
innovative lock for the dam of a reservoir that prevents salt water intrusion when
boats pass the dam to and from the ocean. One of the scientific partners developed a
tool that forecasts inflows to the reservoir during low flow season and therefore aids
anticipation of critical situations. Last, in the region Somerset, United Kingdom, a
whole set of innovative approaches was implemented to increase drought resilience,
examples of which are modelling and technology transfer, water demand management, soil moisture data collection and analysis, different cover crops, and all
kinds of measures aimed to conserve the peat soils, such as scrub clearance,
re-grading peat soils and improvement of structures that retain rainwater.
These six regions were grouped in three pilots. The pilot Nature predominantly
focused on drought adaptation measures with regard to preservation of the natural
environment. The two practice partners in this pilot were Twente and Somerset. The
pilot Agriculture predominantly focused on drought adaptation measures in relation
to agriculture. The two practice partners in this pilot were Salland and Flanders. The
pilot Freshwater predominantly focused on drought adaptation measures for the
preservation and management of freshwater reservoirs. The two practice partners in
this pilot were Brittany and Eifel-Rur.
The scientific partners in the DROP project team, called ‘the governance team’,
worked on governance assessment of these same six regions. They visited the
regions twice, and spoke with the regional water authority, also many other regional
and local stakeholders. Based on these conversations they were able to create a
region diagnosis on the five dimensions we discerned above and following that
diagnosis also recommendations for the future. These recommendations were
multi-level; sometimes matters that could rather easily be picked up by the regional
water authority itself, but in other cases also broader recommendations for the
1 Introduction
9
muting ditches, shoaling streams, and constructing water storage areas. Apart from
that, water management plans were written for local farmers to aid drought adaptation on parcel level, and two studies were conducted (one about level-dependent
drainage and one on surface run-off). In the region Salland, also in the Netherlands,
two structures were built as part of a larger plan where the double-edged sword of
too much water and too little water is addressed simultaneously by a set of structures that combine discharge and pumping functions. The project also paid attention
to optimization of water management. In the region Flanders, Belgium, instruments
for drought monitoring and impact modelling were set up, combined with information provision on drought. This resulted in among others the inclusion of drought
as one of the four main themes on a web portal, where the developed drought
indicators are published and disseminated.
In the region Eifel-Rur, Germany, the focus was on preventing deterioration of
water quality in the water reservoir system. This was done by investigating possible
changes in the inflow over the last decades, to see if trends could be distinguished.
Based on this study, the management plans for discharge downstream of the
reservoir system can be checked and if necessary adapted. In the region Brittany,
France, two strands of work were carried out. The practice partner developed an
innovative lock for the dam of a reservoir that prevents salt water intrusion when
boats pass the dam to and from the ocean. One of the scientific partners developed a
tool that forecasts inflows to the reservoir during low flow season and therefore aids
anticipation of critical situations. Last, in the region Somerset, United Kingdom, a
whole set of innovative approaches was implemented to increase drought resilience,
examples of which are modelling and technology transfer, water demand management, soil moisture data collection and analysis, different cover crops, and all
kinds of measures aimed to conserve the peat soils, such as scrub clearance,
re-grading peat soils and improvement of structures that retain rainwater.
These six regions were grouped in three pilots. The pilot Nature predominantly
focused on drought adaptation measures with regard to preservation of the natural
environment. The two practice partners in this pilot were Twente and Somerset. The
pilot Agriculture predominantly focused on drought adaptation measures in relation
to agriculture. The two practice partners in this pilot were Salland and Flanders. The
pilot Freshwater predominantly focused on drought adaptation measures for the
preservation and management of freshwater reservoirs. The two practice partners in
this pilot were Brittany and Eifel-Rur.
The scientific partners in the DROP project team, called ‘the governance team’,
worked on governance assessment of these same six regions. They visited the
regions twice, and spoke with the regional water authority, also many other regional
and local stakeholders. Based on these conversations they were able to create a
region diagnosis on the five dimensions we discerned above and following that
diagnosis also recommendations for the future. These recommendations were
multi-level; sometimes matters that could rather easily be picked up by the regional
water authority itself, but in other cases also broader recommendations for the
1 Introduction
9