Part i From defence to adaptationcontent.alterra.wur.nl/webdocs/internet/corporate/... ·...
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climate changes dutch water management 01
Foreword 02
Part i FromdefencetoadaptationTheDutchDelta 05
Livingbehindthedykes 08
Climatechange 12
Strategyforthefuture 16
Part ii SmartexamplesTheCoast 20
Rivers 24
Towns 28
Watersupplyandwaterquality 32
HighandLowintheNetherlands 36
Communication 40
Contacts 46
Acknowledgements 47
AuguST2007
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management
Throughoutthecenturies,TheNetherlandshashadto
defenditselfagainstthethreatsofwaterbybuildingdykes
anddams,canalizingriversandcreatingmorelandfor
economicactivities.TheDeltaWorkswereamajoreffortto
sealthecountryofffromthethreatsofthesea.Theywonthe
countryinternationalrenown.Hollandhadachievedtoliveand
workbelowsealevel.TheRoyalNetherlandsMeteorological
Institute,KNMI,frequentlyreportsnewweatherrecords.Eventhe
usuallyphlegmaticDutchhavenotfailedtonoticethatclimateis
changing.
TheimpactsofclimatechangeareweakeningtheDutch
resiliencetowaterthreats.Majorresearchprogrammesstudied
thecountry’svulnerabilitytoclimate,bothingeographicterms
andpereconomicsector;theylearntthatclimatechangeis
threateningsecurity,economy,livelihoodqualityandecology.
Witharisingsealevel,asubsidinggroundlevelandincreasing
variationbetweenwetanddryseasons,Hollandfacesnew
challenges:morewaterintheriversduetointenserainfall;
salinizationofsurfacewaterandgroundwater;andincreasing
fresh-waterdemandsduringheatwavesforirrigation,drinking
water,andpowerstationcooling-water.
Theresearchinsightslearntthatcurrentwatermanagement
practiceshadtobereconsidered.Seadefencesandcanalised
rivers,whichunderlaythemeasuresthatguaranteedHolland’s
water security, do not suffice for the future. While applying the
sequelofretaining,storinganddischargingsurpluswater,we
hadtoadaptourwatermanagementtolimitundesirableimpacts
onourlivelihood.Meanwhile,wemustnotcloseoureyestothe
opportunitiesclimatechangemayoffer.
Since1995,adaptationhasbecomeourwatermanagement’score
business. Doing nothing is no option. We are increasing flexibility
androbustnessbyallocatingmorespaceforwater:digging
ditches in the floodplains, constructing bypasses, designating new
overflow areas. At the end of 2005, the Dutch government followed
suitbygivingthegreenlightforthedevelopmentofanational
adaptationstrategy.ThestrategyisbasedonKNMI’sscenarios.
Theguidingthemeisthesearchforanoptimummatchingofwater
andspace,makinguseofnaturalprocessesandmanagingrisks.
In implementing the strategy, we are focussing on area specificity,
characterisedbylocalsolutionstolocalproblems.Communication
playsavitalroleinmobilizingsupportfortheimplementationofthe
large-andsmall-scalemeasures.
Climate changes Dutch water management
02
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
Atnationallevel,fourministries,provincialandlocal
governments,andthewaterauthoritiesarecollaboratingon
thisissueforthecomingdecades:“makingtheNetherlands
climate-proof.”Wearelookingforpartnershipswiththeprivate
sector,non-governmentalorganisationsandcivilsociety.Old
traditionsinurbanandlandscapeplanning,publicworksand
watermanagementarecoupledwithnewtechnologies,while
planningandimplementationarebeingorganizedaccordingto
thecelebrated“DutchPolderModel”–consultationbetweenall
stakeholdersinvolved.
Wearehappytoexchangeandmakeaccessibleourknowledge
andexperienceswithotherselsewhereintheworld.Thisbooklet
startsoutdescribinghowourwatermanagementstrategyhas
evolvedoverthecenturiesfromincreasinglydefensivemeasures
toanadaptiveapproach.Thesecondpartpresentssmart,area-
specific examples in planning and zoning of water, land and
ecosystemsforourcoast,rivers,citiesanddrinkingwaterutilities.
Thelastchapteraddressestheimportanceofcommunication.
Thebookisrichlyillustratedanditprovideslinkstointeresting
sourcesoffurtherinformation.Thebooklet’sintentisbothtoshow
howtheNetherlandsarestrivingtoremainclimate-proof,andto
provideyou,thereader,withideasandcontactstosupportyour
effortstothisend.
MarkDierikx
Director-General for Water Affairs
Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
03
The Netherlands above and below sea level
dunes and beach 200 m
between 0 and 1 m
below sea level
above 1 m
The Dutch Delta
Living behind the dykes
Climate change
Strategy for the future
Part I
>>
From defence to adaptation
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
TheNetherlandsisoneoftheworld’s
40largestdeltas.Fiftymillionpeople
liveinthebasinsoftheriversRhine,
MeuseandSchelde.TheDutchdeltais
comparabletosuchdeltasastheNile
atCairo,theMississippiatNewOrleans
andtheYangtzeatShanghai.Themajor
advantagesofdeltasarethattheycontain
thebestagriculturallandintheworld
(importantfortheworld’sfoodsupply)
andthattheyhouseimportantinland-and
coastalwetlands,withhighbiodiversity.
Great varietyTheRotterdamMainportontheNorthSea
coastgivestheNetherlandsapowerful
position.Rotterdamisoneoftheworld’s
largesttranshipmentports,whereevery
yearthreehundredthousandtonsofgoods
aretransferredfromtensofthousandsof
vessels,representingmorethan10%ofthe
grossNationalProduct.Theareaaround
theportoffersopportunitiesforinnovation
withcoastaldefences,watermanagement,
wetlands,freshandsaltwateragriculture,
aquaculture,housing,watersportsand
tourism.Opportunitieswhichhavebeen
happilymadeuseof.
NatureintheDutchdeltaincludes
mudflats, salt marshes, inland seas, lakes
andislands.Theoriginal,naturaldelta
landscapecontainedbogwoodlands,reedy
marshesandpeatbogs,muchofwhichhas
been lost in the fight to give more space
foreconomicactivitiesintheNetherlands.
The Dutch Deltathe netherlands lies in the delta
of the rivers rhine, meuse and
schelde. the dynamics of the
delta have brought the country
prosperity – prosperity that we
like to maintain and expand.
>>
the rhine flows into the Netherlands from the south-east
at Lobith and then, five kilometres further, it branches
intotheriverWaalandthePannerdensCanal.Next,the
Waal splits into the Lower Rhine and the IJssel. As it flows
westward,theWaaljoinstheMeuseatanumberofpoints.
TheWaalisoneoftheworld’sbusiest,mosteconomically
importantrivers.TheRhineisoneofEurope’slongest
riversat1320kilometres.Theentirebasinencompasses
185,000squarekilometres.
05
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Themostimportantremainingtidalwetlandis
theWaddenSeainthenorthofthecountry.
Thiswetlandreserveisinternationallyimportant
becausemillionsofwaterandwadingbirds
useiteveryyearduringtheirmigrationfrom
NorthernEurope,AsiaandAfricatoforageand
recuperate.
Dynamics of the DeltaAdeltahasitsownnaturaldynamic.Itis
dominatedbyfreshorsaltwater,areasdryout
or are flooded, banks are washed away, sand
isdeposited,anddunesdevelop.Everything
isonthemoveduetowindandwater.The
humandynamicofagriculture,industry,docks,
housingandtransportheavilyinterfereswith
andrestrictsthenaturaldynamic.“Pavingthe
Deltawithconcrete”hasbroughtuseconomic
The Netherlands above and below sea level
dunes and beach 200 m
between 0 and 1 m
below sea level
above 1 m
the river maas (Meuse)entersthecountryfromthesouthat
Eijsden. It makes a wide bend, first along the Belgian border and
thenfurthernorthwardsalongthegermanborder,enteringthe
Maas and Waal Country near Cuijk, after which it flows westward.
Theriveris925kminlength,withitssourceroughly200kmnorth
ofDijon,409metersabovesealevel.TheDutchpartoftheMaas,
downtoitsmouthinHaringvliet,is300kmlong.Thebasinis
36,000squarekm–roughlythesizeoftheNetherlands.
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prosperityatthepriceofalotofnature.
TheDeltaWorks(seeChapter2)have
broughtusahighlevelofsecurityand
wonderfulexamplesofDutchhydraulic
engineering. But the closure and
compartmentalisationoftheseainletshave
alsoledtoadeclineinmarinebiodiversity
andhavegivenrisetowaterquality
problemswhich,inturn,haveaffected
fishing and leisure activities.
Whenitcomestowater,theNetherlands
isoneofthesafestcountriesintheworld:
riverdykesaredesignedtobeovertopped
onlyoncein1250years,whiletheNorth-
East Polder and Flevoland may only flood
on average once every 4000 years. But, do
thesesecuritystandardsstandinthefaceof
achangingclimate?
The boulevard of Vlissingen. Here the Westerschelde flows into the North Sea.
the schelderisesinthenorthofFranceat95meters
abovesealevelandenterstheNetherlandsviaghentand
Antwerp.Theriveris360kmlong.TheScheldedischarges
into the Western Schelde between Hulst and Bergen op
Zoom.ThismeanderthenemptiesintotheNorthSea.
07
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management
Thehistoryofwaterinthe
Netherlandsiscenturiesold.
Systematicembankmentofrivers
startedasearlyasthe12thcentury,when
waterboardorganisationswerefoundedfor
localgovernanceandwatermanagement.
In the same period the first polders came
intoexistenceand,around1450,themajor
riverswerepracticallyallembanked.That’s
when the Netherlands also took up the fight
withthesea.NotthattheDutchpeople
always won: one of the first documented
seastormsurgestocauselargescale
flooding occurred on 28 September 1014.
Elevenmoreweretofollow.
Inthe19thcenturytheNetherlandsbecame
a unified country in both political and
watergovernance.Theearly1800swere
devoted to the control the flooding of major
riversandmakethemnavigable.Improved
knowledgeofthewayriversbehaveled
toacomprehensiveplanto‘normalisethe
neglected’rivers:riverbedsweredredged,
canalisedandthewaterlevelregulated.
Theresultswereimpressive.In40years
the danger of flooding had receded and the
riverswere‘normalised’;straightenedout
andcanalised.Thisnormalisationapproach
lasteduntilthemid-1960s.Thecompletion
ofthebarragesintheZuiderzeeandthe
Living behind the dykestraditionally, the dutch have
regarded water as their
enemy. up till around 1200 ad
dutchmen defensively built
their houses in flood- prone
areas on man-made dwelling
mounds. Between 1200 and
1950 we aggressively built
dykes and canalized rivers.
From 1950 till 1995 the dutch
managed their water systems,
respecting also ecological
values. From 1995 onwards,
adaptive management is being
developed.
08
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
Delta finally also brought the hazards
fromtheseainthe20thcenturyunder
control. The last major flood to ravage the
Netherlandsoccurredin1953.
Zuiderzee WorksTheseawateroftheZuiderzee(nowthe
IJsselLake)usedtopenetratedeepintothe
country, causing regular flooding. At the end
ofthe19thcenturytheengineerCornelis
Lelypresentedaplanforpartialpoldering.
Between 1918 and 1932 a dam, called
theAfsluitdijk,wasbuilttocloseoffthe
ZuiderzeefromtheNorthSealeadingtothe
creationofanewinlandlakeandnewland.
Delta WorksSecuritywasthemajorreasontoconstruct
the Delta Works. The disastrous floods in
theSouth-westoftheNetherlandsin1953
acceleratedtheimplementationofthe
plans.Newtechnologywasusedtokeep
theNieuweWaterwegandtheWestern
Scheldeopen,maintainingtheaccessibility
oftheportsofRotterdamandAntwerp.The
solutionfortheScheldetooktheformof
BreaCheS In The CoaSTLIne
n 1014 StormsurgehitstheLowCountries.
Theseabreachesgreatgapsinthe
coastline–virtuallyclosedoffat
thattime–betweenFlanders
andNortherngermany.
n 1170 AllSaintsFlood.Theseabreaks
throughthedunesatDenHelderand
Texel.ThiscreatestheZuiderzeeand
theWaddenSea.
n 1287St.LuciaFlood.WestFrieslandiscut
offfromthepresentFriesland.
n 1421St.ElizabethFlood.Largeareas
of Zeeland and Holland flooded.
DykesbreachedintheSouthHolland
Waardleadingtothecreationofthe
Biesbosch.
n 1530 St. Felix Flood. Disastrous flood
mainlystrikesZeeland.
n 1570 SecondAllSaintsFlood.Extreme
hightides,mainlyinFriesland
andZeeland.
n 1703FlooddisasterinNorth-western
Europe,thousandsdead.
n 1717ChristmasFlood.Morethan10,000
killedinNorthernNetherlands,
germanyandDenmark.
n 1825FloodinginNorthernNetherlandsand
Overijssel.
n 1916Stormsurgecombinedwithhigh
water levels in rivers leads to flooding
roundtheZuiderzee.Provesdecisive
inthedecisiontocloseoffand
partiallyimpoldertheZuiderzee.
n 1953MajorstormsurgestrikesSouth-west
Netherlands,1835killed.ADeltaPlan
mustpreventanyrecurrence.
>>
the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier,
costing € 2.5 billion, with its 62 sluice gates,
whichareonlyclosedatextremehigh
tides.Thedamwascompletedin1986.The
Maeslantkeringwasbuiltinthe1990s:two
immenseswinginggatescancloseoffthe
NieuweWaterwegifthewaterlevelrises
toohigh.
TheDeltaWorkshavecausedagreat
dealofdamagetotheecosystems,but
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AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management
alsoallowedthecreationofnewnatural
andrecreationareas.Thelengthofsea
dykewasreducedby700kmthanksto
thebarrage,inlandshippingreceived
anenormousboost,andlargeareasof
theSouth-westNetherlandsareclosed
offfromthesea.Aboveall,thesafetyof
millionsofpeopleisnowassured.
Water, my friendgivenDutchhistory,ittookarevolution
inourthinkingtogivewatermorespace,
eventoregarditasafriend.Amajor
impulseinthisdirectionwasgivenby
thenear-disastersinthe1990s(‘near’
disastersbecausenoonewaskilled).In
1993,highwaterlevelscausedproblems
atvariouslocationsalongthemajorrivers.
Another wave of flooding followed in 1995
–thehighestsince1926.Therewere
doubtsaboutthestabilityofthedykes,so
inJanuary1995,inthespaceofasingle
week,250,000personswereevacuated,
togetherwithentireherdsoflivestock.After
afewdays,asthewatersrecededand
nodykeswerefoundtohavegivenway,
theresidentscouldreturnhome.Thinking
aboutwatermanagementchanged
fromthattimeon,catalysedbythe
consequencesofclimatechange.Arising
sealevelandhigherwinterwaterlevelsin
therivers,worseningdischargeproblems
andincreasingdifferencesbetweenwet
anddryseasons,causedpeopletorealise
thatexcludingwaterwouldnotbringsafety.
Itispreciselysafetythatwas,isand
remainsthenonnegotiablegoalofDutch
watermanagementintheorderof:retain,
store,anddischarge.Now,though,the
increasing excess floodwaters during
extremeconditionscannotbedischarged
quicklyenough.Morespaceisneededto
retain floodwaters. And through innovative
spatialplanningandinnovationdynamic
coastaldefences,fewerdykes,andfewer
dunesareoptions.
Thenewapproachmayappearsimple,
butitisn’t,evenifonlybecausethecosts
aresohigh,costswhicharetobeborn
bysociety.Thechallengeistocreate
sufficient support throughout society.
10
A complex of floodgates in the Afsluitdijk near Den Oever.
TheMaeslantkeringintheNieuweWaterwegnearRotterdaminclosedcondition.
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
Themajordefensiveworksuptillthe
endoflastcenturywerebuiltandpaid
forbygovernment.Inturn,government
guaranteedsecurity.Thingsaredifferent
now.Adaptivemanagementinvolves
everybodyandrequirespublicsupportat
alllevelsofsociety.Adaptivemanagement
isasharedresponsibilityforalllevels
ofgovernment,theprivatesector,non
governmentalorganisationsandcivilsociety
atlarge.Communicationisakeyfeatureof
ournewstrategy.
ThewindmillsinthepolderofKinderdijk.
11
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Toincreasetheunderstandingof
theimpactsofclimatechangethe
RoyalNetherlandsMeteorological
Institute,KNMI,hasdevelopedfourclimate
scenarios, representing the latest scientific
viewsonclimatechangeintheNetherlands.
Thesescenariosutiliseclimatemodel
simulationscreatedfortheFourthIPCC
Report,whichappearedin2007.
Tailor-made, regionalScenariosaredescriptionsofapossible
future.Theyareframedingeneralterms
andareperiodicallyamendedonthebasis
ofimprovedclimatemodels.Theseclimate
modelsandthescenariosaremadefor
largegridscale.Adaptationofadrinking
watersystem,ofdykedefences,sewer
systemsoranirrigationsystemisalocal
affair.Thedevelopmentoftailor-madeand
downscaledclimatescenariosandclimate
modelsisessentialtoprovidetherequired
specific information on regional and even
localimpactsforwatermanagementand
waterservices.OverthelastyearstheKNMI
hasdevelopedtheregionaldownscaled
models.Mid2006itpresentedtheresultsof
itsstudies.
TheresultsoftheKNMIscenariostudiesare:
n TheNetherlandscontinuestobecome
warmerinallscenarios.Forthe
Netherlands,globalwarmingmoreoften
meansmildwintersandhotsummers.
n Thewinterswillbeonaveragewetter(as
muchas28%in2100)andtherewillbe
moreextremeprecipitation.
n Extremerainfalleventsinsummer
increaseinintensity,butwithfewerrainy
days.Thisincreasestheprobabilityand
lengthofdryperiods.
n Increasedprobabilityofextremelydry
periods
Climate changein the netherlands, climate
change has a direct impact
on hydrology, on water
management systems and on
water services. this chapter
presents the impacts and their
consequences on water.
12
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
n The flows in the major rivers increase
inthewinter.Insummertime,theriver
flow may be unchanged or lower.
n Thesealevelcontinuestorise.
Besides an expected absolute rise of
35–85cmin2100,allowancemust
alsobemadeforlandsubsidencein
thewesternpartoftheNetherlands,
whichmeansthattherelativesealevel
risewillbegreater.
n Theprobabilityofextremeweather
eventsincreases:heatwaves,and
heavyrain.
The netherlands in a changed climateTheconsequencesofclimatechangein
theNetherlandscanalsobedetected
now.ItisexpectedthattheDutch
summerclimatewillsoonlookmorelike
thatofParis.
n Risingsealevelleadstoerosionof
sandalongthecoastandgreater
unsafetyofimmediatecoastal
localities.
n greaterwinterprecipitationwilllead
to large flows in the Rhine and Maas
basins.Theprobabilitythattherivers
will flood increases. Major cities such
asRotterdamandDordrechtare
vulnerabletofurtherincreasesofsea
levelastheriverscannotdischarge
theirwaters.
n Moreintensesummerrainfall
increases the frequency of overflowing
ofcombinedsewersinurbanareas.
n Thereisagreatimpactonnature:
seasonsstartearlier,ecosystemsand
vulnerableplantandanimalspecies
disappear,exoticsappear.
n Humanandanimalhealthisaffected:
heatstressinthecities,increased
incidenceofLymedisease.
n Longperiodsofdroughtmayharm
agricultureandnature,butmayalso
havefavourableeffects.Long,hot
summersarefavourabletoagriculture
andmarketgardening(longer
growingseason,lesslikelihoodof
frostdamage),leisureandtourism
(extendedoutdoorseason,more >>
13
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management
CoastalareawestoftheEasternScheldtStorm Surge Barrier.
14
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
outdoorleisure)andmorehotdays
have a positive influence on the Dutch
population’shealthandwelfare.
Thescenariosleadtodescriptionsof
possible futures and are theoretical. But the
increasedfrequencyofrecorddroughts,
rains,andheatwavesvalidatetheir
relevanceandjustifyaction.
record heat waveJuly2006wasthehottestJulyinthe
Netherlandssincerecordsbeganin1706.
Themeantemperatureof22.3°Cwas
4.9degreeswarmerthannormal.The
seawateralongthecoast,at20–24°C,
wasalsowarmerthanusual(18°C).April
2007alsoenteredtherecordbooks.The
averagetemperaturehadcertainlynot
beensohighin300years,suchlonghours
ofsunshinehadneverbeenmeasured,and
rainfallwasthelowestinmorethan100
years–notadropformorethansixweeks.
Theserecordsalonearenoproofof
climate change, but they do fit into the
trendtowardsawarmerclimate.
Summer 2003 consequences of drought for water resources and managementTheextremelyhotanddrysummerof2003
(mean of 18.6°C), led to very low flow
intheRhineriverandcausedincreased
salinationofseveralfreshwaterinlets.
Thesefresh-waterinletsmaintainthewater
levelsinthepoldersandpreventsalination
fromgroundwater.
Thecoolingcircuitsofseveralelectrical
powerplantscameunderthreat,anda
numberofthemranatreducedcapacity
forafewweeks.Thedischargepermits
statethatcoolingwatermayhavea
temperaturenohigherthan30°C,forcing
severalbusinessestolimittheirproduction
capacity.
Thedroughtledtothecollapseofa
numberofpeatdykes(Wilnis,Rotterdam,
andStadskanaal).Thecountryhasover
3,500kmofpeatdykeinlow-lyingareas.
Thepersistentdroughtledtomanyof
themlosingacriticalamountofwater.
Theybecamelighter,startedtoshrinkand
thencollapsed.Therelativelydrywinterof
2003–2004didnotallowthesedykesto
regaintheirstrengthin2004.
15
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Both nationally and locally,
climate change is seen as a
challenge: climate change
increases risks but also offers
opportunities. government
at all levels, the business
community, research institutes
and ngOs are collaborating
to reduce the risks and use
the opportunities. major
multistakeholder and
interdisciplinary research
programmes provide the
scientific credibility about
the impacts, vulnerabilities
and response options. the
government in has started to
develop a national strategy
and adaptive management
measures at national and down
to local level, and is looking
for partnership with the private
sector and civil society.
Strategy for the future
>>
Majormultistakeholderand
interdisciplinaryresearch
programmesstudyalready
severalyearstheimpacts,vulnerability
andresponseoptionsofclimatechange.
Theprogrammesareconsortiaof
numerousresearchinstitutes,universities,
government,nongovernmental
organisationsandtheprivatesector.
Asfaraspossible,theprogrammes
aredemanddriven:issuesofconcern
tothepublicareincorporatedinto
newandexistingresearchprojects
andprogrammes.Apartfromresearch
institutionsalsoothersarealsoinvolved
intheprogrammes,includinggovernment
(atlocal,provincialandnationallevels,
plusthewaterauthorities),consultancies,
banksandotherbusinessinstitutions,
andnongovernmentalorganisations.The
programmesdrawscience,policyand
practicetogether.
Majorresearchconsortiaandprogrammes
are:
n ClimatechangesSpatialPlanning
(KlimaatvoorRuimte),
www.klimaatvoorruimte.nl
n Habiforum,www.habiforum.nl
16
CLImaTe ProoFInG The neTherLanDS on The LonG Term
Theresultsoftheresearchprogrammes,
togetherwithaparliamentaryrequest,have
providedthecredibilitytolegitimiseastrong
governmentresponse.Theresponsewill
havetobeagovernmentdecisiontogo
towards “climate proofing the Netherlands”.
Torealisethisambitionanationalstrategy
(ARK) is being developed to increase flexibi-
lity,robustnessandadaptivecapacityatall
levels.Oftheadaptationmeasures,alarge
majorityinvolveswater.
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
PeopleconstructinganemergencydikeinArcenduringanextremehighwaterlevelintheMaasinJanuary1995.
17
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management
n LivingwithWater(LevenmetWater),
www.levenmetwater.nl
n KnowledgeforClimate(Kennisvoor
Klimaat),www.minvrom.nl
Forthedevelopmentoftheadaptation
strategycentralgovernmenthasentered
intoanagreementwithministries,provincial
governments,localauthoritiesandwater
authorities.Thepartnersforthenational
strategyare:
ministriesn Housing,SpatialPlanningand
Environment(VROM);
n Transport,PublicWorksandWater
Management(V&W);
n Agriculture,NatureandFoodQuality
(LNV);
n EconomicAffairs(EZ);
Umbrella organisations:n InterprovincialConsultation(IPO);
n AssociationofNetherlandsMunicipalities
(VNg);
n Association of Water Boards (UvW)
more specific adaptation policies
Flood safety
Possibleconsequencessuchassealevel
riseandhigherriverdischargeshave
alwaysbeentakenintoaccountintoour
(legislative) management cycle for flood
protection.Thisresultsintoregularraising
andstrengtheningofthedunes,dikesand
otherworkstokeepthematthelegallyset
standard.
Animportantelementinthenationalstrate-
gyistheacknowledgementofanarea-spe-
cific approach, which is described more fully
inPart2ofthisbooklet.
18
The new way of thinking about flood
safetydoesnotonlylookatthestandard
basedonprobabilitybutassesseshowwe
canalsotakeintoaccountthepossible
consequences of flooding. For example
by improved flood mitigation planning
(decreasing the consequences of floods).
coast
Anewvisiononcoastalpolicyisbeing
prepared,inwhichclimatechangeis
featuringprominently.
Multilevel institutional co-operation on
flooding and droughts
Theexistingagreementbetweennational,
intermediateandlocalgovernmentlayers
willberevised;newdevelopmentsrelated
toclimatechangearebeingtakenonboard.
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management xx
Part II The Coast
rivers
Water supply and water quality
high and Low in the netherlands
>>
Towns
Communication
Smart examples
the netherlands plays a major role in the global economy and is an attractive place to live and invest in. if it is to stay this way, though, the country has to remain safe. we anticipate that climate change will cause the sea level to rise by 35-85 cm according to the forecast by the Knmi scenarios.
The Coast
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management20
Thedunesandseadykesinthe
Netherlandsprotectonehalfof
thecountryfromthesea.Thearea
justinlandofthecoastlineiscloselybuilt
upon,majorcitieslikeAmsterdamandThe
HaguelieontheNorthSeacoast,along
withvaluablenaturereserves,andthe
economicallyimportantportofRotterdam,
andAmsterdamAirportSchiphol.
Cracked polder landAhighersealevel,combinedwithincreased
rainfallandhigherwinterwaterlevelsinthe
riversformathreattosecurity,withallthat
thatinvolves:
n Dischargeofexcessriverwaterstops;
n Inflowing sea water leads to increased
groundwatersalination;
n Temperature increases change flora,
faunaandthefreshwaterstocksinthe
dunes,whichcanaffectthetreatmentof
domesticwater.
examples of adaptation for the coast
1. ComCoast solutionsComCoaststandsforCombinedFunctions
inCoastalDefenceZones.ItisaEuropean
projecttodevelopinnovativesolutionsfor
coastalprotection.
ComCoastconcentratesonthedevelopment
ofmultifunctional,economicallyfeasible
waterdefencezonesalongthecoast,
providingamoregradualtransitionfrom
sea to land, to the benefit of the coastal
populationandenvironment.
The project is concentrating first of all on the
sea dykes, partly to find affordable, long-
termalternativestocontinuouslyraisingthe
heightoftheexistingseadefences(see
QuickFacts).
2. Wave overtoppingBy heavily reinforcing the front of sea
defencedykesbutnotthereverseslopes
incombinationwithtemporallystorage
provisionsforseawaterbehindthedykes
heavywavesareallowedtoovertopthesea
defencesunderextremeconditions.When
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 21
>>
thestormabates,thewaterthathas
toppedthedykeispumpedout.
3. Sand supplementationSandsupplementationinvolves
artificially pumping extra sand onto the
coastline.Whereasthisusedtobedone
mainlyonthebeach,itisnowmore
oftendonejustoffthebeach,belowthe
watersurface.Thetidalwavemovement
ismadeuseoftotransportthesand.
Theextrasandalsodampensthe
waves.Theneteffectofthisapproach
ispreventionoferosionofthebeaches
andthedunes.
Tothenorthofthebreakwateratthe
HookofHolland(nearRotterdam),
localsandsupplementationcaneven
leadtoasuperduneupto65meters
inheight.Thiswillinturnleadtothe
creation of new coastal flow patterns
andnewnature.Thedunewillalso
beaspectaculartouristattractionwith
paraglidingfromthetop,forinstance,
andatremendousview.
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management22
ThedunesandseadykesintheNetherlandsprotectonehalfofthecountryfromthesea.
4. Combating salinationThemainwaytocombatsalinationisby
flushing with fresh water. In the Netherlands
DeltathewaterintheNieuweWaterweg
ontheRiverMaasiskeptfreshwithwater
from the Rhine. This is needed to flush out
thesurroundingpolders.Lowsummerwater
levelsintheriverleadtoproblemswiththe
supplyofirrigationwaterintheSouthWest
oftheNetherlands.
Increasedtemperatureswillallowblue-
green algae to flourish in inland waters.
Theycanbeeffectivelycombatedby
admittingsaltwatertothearea,whichthe
algaecannottolerate.
QUICk FaCTS
n makedykesandthehinterlandtolerantto
waveovertopping;
n improvethewavedampeningeffectofthe
foreshore using artificial reefs, concrete
structurestobreaktheforceofthewaves;
n sandsupplementation;
n allowsaltmarshestospreadfromtidal
openingsintheprimarycoastaldefence,
eitherusingdiversorbyredesigningthesea
walls;
n find solutions for the increased salination
(sluicegatesinstormsurgebarrages);
n activatepolicymakers,plannersandthe
public;
n gainpublicsupportformultifunctionalcoastal
zoneuseanddevelopment.
more information
n UK, Belgian, German and Danish
governments
www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl
n geoDelft
www.geodelft.nl
n ComCoast
www.comcoast.org
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 23
the netherlands is a country with many rivers running through a low lying delta. the country is vulnerable to variations in rainfall due to climate change. a rise in sea level is a threat to the coast. Probably more important is that more rainfall may exceed the discharge capacity of the river systems. this is no cause for alarm if adaptive management measures are taken.
rivers
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management24
Formorethan150yearstheDutch
authoritiesbelievedtheycould
managetheriversbycontrolling
theirnaturalcourse.Anormalisationpolicy
waspursuedforapproximately100years
fromthemid-19thcenturyon.Meandering
riverswithsharpbends(calledirregularities
andabnormalities)werestraightenedout
andcanalised.Despiteagreatdealof
criticism,thistechnocraticmanagementof
thehydraulicsystemlastedintothe1960s.
Seriouswaterpollutionandecological
damagecausedachangeinpolicyatthat
time, to the benefit of the environment.
Changed thinkingSome30yearslater,thinkingchanged
again.SevererainfallinNorthernFranceand
Southerngermanyinthewinterof1995led
toextremelyhighwaterlevelsintheRivers
MaasandRhineintheNetherlands.More
than250,000peoplelivinginthepolders
betweentheMaasandtheWaalwere
evacuated.Therewasariskthatthedykes
would be breached, with flooding as a result.
Thedykesremainedintact,buttheevents
–whichrecalledthoseof1993–ledtothe
initiationoftheambitiousRoomfortheRiver
project.Notonlywerethedykesreinforced
andraisedinheight;optionswereexamined
toseeiftherivercouldliterallybeallowed
moreroom.TheRoomfortheRiverproject’s
prescriptionsfortheRhineincludedthesafe,
manageddischargeofincreasingvolumesof
watertothesea.FortheRhine,thevolumes
involvedhavebeencalculatedas16,000m3/s
intheshortterm(until2015)and18,000m3/s
overthelongerterm(post-2015).
Solutions and measures
1. room for the river: measures for high winter water levelsn Lowertheareasbetweenthedykesso
morewatercanbedischarged;
n Dig(additional)ditchesintheriver
bed, which can increase flow without
excavatingtheentirearea;
n Movethedykes.Movethewinterdyke
inlandat39locationstoenlargethe
river’swinterbed.
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 25
rivers
>>
n “Highwater”ditchesbehindthedykes.
Anewwintercoursefortheriver,away
fromtheexistingone,whichwillform
part of the river’s flow pattern under high
waterconditions.The“highwater”ditch
isenclosedbetweentwohighdykesor
areasofhigherland;
n Retentionareas(basins)intheregions
surroundedbydykes,toretainwater
temporarilywhenneeded;
n Removeobstacles(rebuilding);
n Lowergroynes;
n Deepenthesummerbed;
n Raisetheheightofthedykes.Make
dykeshigher(andwider),orstrengthen
themusingengineeringtechnology.
In total, these measures will cost € 2.2
billion.
2. Freude am FlussBesides safety and protection against water,
theFreudeamFlussprojectalsofocuses
onthemorepositiveaspects–thejoya
rivercangive.Theproject’sbasicpremises
are:
1. River the Lek: flood-control dam Hagestein 2. National Park De Biesbosch. 3. Basin of River the Beerze near Spoordonkafterthereconstructionofthenaturearea.4.TheWaalbrugnearNijmegen
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management26
fotoviaVenW1 2
3 4
n Ecosystem-basedwatermanagement,
meaningthatspatialdevelopments
willnotendangertheriver’snatural
functions.Naturalprocessesareno
longer eliminated (don’t fight the water);
rather,spaceisprovidedtothenatural
processes.
n Theinitiativecomesfromlocaland
regionalstakeholders,suchasthe
provinces,localauthoritiesandwater
boards,andsituatestheconceptof
securitywithinthecontextofhighquality
landscapeandecology.
n german,FrenchandDutchexperts
arecollaboratingandwillhavetothink
‘differently’.Ratherthancanalisingthe
river,FreudeamFlussisconsidering
flood-proof homes, industrial areas on
manmademounds,butmainlymore
roomforwater,natureandleisure.
n Rightfromthestarttheprojectworked
withthe‘FourCs’:Citizens,Companies,
CivilServantsandCouncillors(co-
production).
n Marketmechanismsareintroducedto
finance changes in land use. Ecotourism,
sand and clay extraction, and (modified)
house building can be major financial
drivers.
n Co-production:collaborationbetween
government,thelocalpopulationandthe
universities.
n Co-operationbetweenlocalauthorities:
theriverwasonceanimpenetrable
border,dividingthelocalstakeholders
both literally and figuratively. Freude
amFlusshasdoneawaywithallthat.
Optimumuseoftheareaaroundtheriver
canbemadeonlyifboththinkingand
actionscrosslocalboundaries.
FouryearsafterthestartoftheEuropean
FreudeamFlussproject,itseemsthatthe
approachhasbeensuccessful.
AnumberofDutchdistrictsalongthe
RiverWaal,Neunenburgingermanyand
NeversinFrancearereadytoamendtheir
zoning plans in order to find a satisfactory
balancebetweenthequalityoftheliving
environment,economicprospectsand
protection from flooding.
3. WaalWeeldeFreudeamFlusshasnowpassedonthe
torchtotheWaalWeeldeproject,which
iscollaborationbetweentenDutchlocal
authoritiesalongtheRiverWaalinthestretch
fromNijmegentogorinchem.Inadditionto
theresultoftheRoomfortheRiverproject,
whichloweredthegroynesintheWaalto
allowmorewatertobedischarged,tailor-
madesolutionsaretobefound.Theprocess
hascurrentlyresultedinaninspiringzoning
map, which offers sufficient water drainage
capacity(security),aswellasprospectsfor
nature,customisedsandextraction,and
flood-proof construction.
more InFormaTIon
www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/
e-mail:[email protected]
www.freudeamfluss.nl/ned/
e-mail:[email protected]
www.waalweelde.nl
e-mail:[email protected]
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 27
when it comes to high water levels, the netherlands has learned its lesson. is it making more room for the water to avoid breaches of the dykes and to have adequate buffer capacity available for dry periods. this approach can also be used in the towns.
Towns
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management28
amsterdam
the hague
TheNetherlandshasbecome
increasinglyurbanisedinthelast
century.Thiswillonlyintensify
infuture.Thebuilt-upareaswillgrow,
meaningthatmorewaterwillneedto
bedrainedfromthetownsthrough
drainagesystemsorcombinedsewers
ortemporarilystoredifunsanitaryurban
flooding is to be prevented. Moreover,
urbanutilitiesarealreadyexperiencing
risingpeakdemandsduringextremeheat
conditions.
Proofing against climate and waterAdaptingexistingurbandrainagesystems
tochanginghydrologicalconditionsis
complicated.Newurbandrainagesystems
forurbanareasintheNetherlandstake
climatechangeintoaccount.
Eitherwaythewatermanagers,planners,
architectsandriskmanagersmustcome
togetherrightfromthestart,whenbuilding
(orrebuilding)isbeingconsidered.
The solutions are to be found in proofing
newsitesagainstbothclimateandwater.
Possible modifications include:
n Re-excavating filled-in urban canals;
n usinglocalwater;
n Diggingnewwaterwaysintheinner
cities;
n Removingpavedareas;
n Takingrainwateroutofthesewage
system;
n Creatingwaterstoragefacilitiesand
undergroundreservoirs.
Solutions and measures
1. Tilburg hotspotTheresearchprogrammeClimatechanges
SpatialPlanninghasselectedTilburg,in
thesouthofthecountry,asa‘hotspot’,
thankstotheambitiousclimatepolicy
pursued by this Brabant city, which is
situatedwithintheNationalEcological
Network. By using and developing the
existingcanalssurroundingthecityfor
housebuilding,leisureandasarobust
ecologicalpathway,theTilburgcouncil
providesspaceforwaterandbiodiversity.
Thelocalauthorityiscollaboratinginthis
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 29
>>
endeavourwith18localorganisations
(stakeholderparticipation).
Theobjectiveofthehotspotprojectis
todevelopactivitiesthatcuttherisksof
climatechange,whilesimultaneously
offering the opportunity to benefit from the
associatedopportunities.Otherregions
oftheNetherlandsareinterestedinthis
innovative project. It receives financial
support in the form of € 77,000 in grant
funding.
Thefollowingmeasuresarebeing
implementedintwonewly-developedcity
districts:
n waterexchangesystemsconduct
rainwatereithertothesewersortoa
storagefacility;
n thepatiohousinghasaspecialdrainage
system,allowingmostoftherainwaterto
seepintotheground;
n ditchesonthedistrict’soutermargins
functionsimultaneouslyasnaturezone
andwaterbuffer;
n inoneofthedistrictstheriverDongehas
beenwidenedtoprovidea150meter
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management30
ThecityofZutphenwiththepromenadealongthebanksoftheriverIJssel.
wideecologicalconnectionroute,creating
spaceforbothnatureandexcesswater.
2. Zutphen: new riverHighwaterlevelsintheriverIJsselcause
problemsintheeasterncityofZutphen.The
RoomfortheRiverprojectencouragednew
thinkingaboutbypassesandachanged
more InFormaTIon:
TilburgHotspot
www.cea.nl
www.tilburg.nl
www.klimaatvoorruimte.nl
ZutphenLocalAuthority
www.agro.nl/innovatienetwerk
www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl
www.zutphen.nl
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 31
overtheNewRiver.Thereisroomforan
urbanbeachalongtheIJssel.
Thedykesallowforavarietyofhousing
styles.(Situationathighandlowwater.)
mound landscapeHouses built on artificial mounds are so
constructed that they will float as the water
rises.Howoftenthathappensdependson
howhightheyarelocated:itcanvaryfrom
twodaystoafewweekseveryyear.
Existingmoundsactasanucleusfor
floating homes.
coursefortheriver.NearZutphen,onthe
westbankoftheIJssel,thereisroomfor
anewriver,9kmlong,whichoffersthe
possibilitytobuildintheriver.Theurban
environmenthasbeensodesignedthatthe
newdistrictscanstorewaterwhenneeded
andsocontribute‘inkind’totheriver’s
safety.
residential islandsTheresidentialislandsintheNewRiver
havebeensodesignedthattheycan
‘move’alongwiththeriverasthewater
levelschangethroughouttheyear.When
waterlevelsarehightheouterareas
overflow right under the houses built
outsidethedykes.Cafeteriasonthe
beach are able to float, rising up in times
ofhighwater,whichmeanstheyarealso
accessibleinwinter.
Dyke housesAnother housing estate fits in between
existingbuildingsandwillthusbeentirely
withinthedykes.Thehousesattheedges
arebuiltupagainstthedyke,lookingout
Design of a floating city.
shipping, industry, water companies, agriculture, leisure … they all use water from the rivers and groundwater every day. the impacts of climate change are expected to include higher temperatures, a rising sea level, more extreme rainfall and droughts. also, the rhine could possibly stop being fed by snow melt from the glaciers, and turn into a rain fed river. all of these changes will have effects on the water resources for drinking water.
Water supply and water quality
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management32
IntheNetherlands,60%ofthedrinking
waterdereivesfromgroundwater,while
40%isdrawnfromtherivers.The
qualityandquantityofthedrinkingwateris
affectedbyanumberoffactors.
n Lesssummerdischargeleadsto
elevatedpollutantconcentrations.
Thereforetreatmenttechnologywill
havetobechangedandcoolingwater
dischargepermitsmustbeamended.
n Therisingsealevelincreaseschances
forbreakthroughsofsalinewaterinto
fresh-wateraquifers.
n germanandDutchbusinessesare
dischargingmoreheat.Thetemperature
oftheRhinehasbeenincreasing
overthelastyears.Themaximum
temperatureofcoolingwaterthatis
allowedtobedischargedtothesurface
waterhasbeenraisedfrom25°Cto
28°C.Thehighertemperatureleads
toincreasedbiologicalactivity,withan
increasedriskofE.colicontamination
andmorevigorousgrowthofaeromonas,
legionellaandLegionnaire’sdisease.
n Temperaturechangeincreasesthe
likelihoodofalgalgrowth,botulismand
legionella.
n River flow in the Rhine was so low in
2003thatsaltseawater,penetratedthe
freshwaterreservescausingfreshwater
shortages.
n InrecentyearstheDutchhave
steadilycometouselesswater,from
morethan134litersadayin1995
tonearly124litersin2005.Theuse
ofimproved,economicalwashing
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 33
Water supply and water quality
>>
machines, dual flush toilets, and a
growing‘waterawareness’hasledtoa
cutinconsumption.Itishighlyprobable,
though,thattheaveragedemandfor
drinkingwaterwillriseagainbyafew
percentasthetemperatureincreases.
n Theincreasingfrequencyandintensity
ofheatwaveswillmeanfrequent,higher
peaksindrinkingwaterdemand.
Solutions and measuresWatermanagersanddrinkingwater
suppliers,suchastheDutchwatersupply
companies’researchandknowledgeinstitute
(KIWA)andtheAssociationofDutchWater
Companies(Vewin)arepreparingforthe
impactsofachangedclimate.Possible
adaptationstrategiesinclude:
n createfreshwaterstorageareastocope
withdryperiods;
n raisethegroundwatertabletocountersalt
waterpenetration;
n overhaulthesewagesystems;
n relocatecollectionpointsfordrinking
watertreatment;
A number of major flood channels will be constructed near Lomm and Well-Aijen that will run parallel to the Meuse. When the river rises, water will be diverted into the flood channels so that it can be discharged more rapidly downstream. This is the flood channel near Lomm.
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management34
n Storewaterandretainitinurbanareas;
n Storewateronagriculturalland;
n useseepagewaterforthefreshwater
supply;
n Transformpoorquality,brackishor
seawaterintodrinkingwater.This
ispossible,thoughexpensive,andit
demandsagreatdealofenergy.
more drainage water for the drinking water supplyIfincreasedrainfallleadstogreater
drainage,thenthewatercanbeextracted
andtreatedtomakedrinkingwater.The
AmsterdamDuneWaterSupplyareaisa
naturereserveofinternationalimportance,
withvastbiodiversity.Annually,thedunes
supply70millionm3ofdrinkingwater,60
millionm3ofwhichissupplementedwith
pre-treatedwaterfromtheRiverLek.
more InFormaTIon
www.vewin.nl
www.nederlandleeftmetwater.nl
www.kiwawaterresearch.eu
www.pwn.nl
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 35
there are no mountains in the dutch countryside. in our terms, ‘high’ means the areas above sea level. these ‘high areas’ frequently experience drought conditions. the greatest challenge, though, is posed by the low-lying areas of the country, where towns, polders, agriculture and nature reserves lie below sea level.
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management36
high and Low in the netherlands
Inmanyofthehigherareasthepresent
levelsofprotectionarenolonger
adequate.Extremesummerrainfall
causesproblemsinthetransitionalareas
wheretheslopesmeettheplains.Water
shortagesoccurrelativelyfrequently
inthehigh,sandyareas;increasing
aridityimpactsonwaterquality,with
consequencesforagriculture,water
withdrawlandnature.
Oneproblemthatischaracteristicof
theNetherlandsisthecapillariesinour
hydraulicsystem,whichhavedevelopedto
suchadegreethatthesystem’scapacityto
actasaspongehasdisappeared.Severe
rainfalloverloadsthelargerwatercourses.
Thesolutiontothishastobefoundatthe
source:thewatercanberetainedonlyby
re-creatingtheoriginal,naturalprocessina
landscape of brooks and fields enclosed by
hedges,withitowncharacteristicbiotope.
The Low netherlandsThelow-lyingpartoftheNetherlands
consistslargelyofpeatandmarineclay.
The water level is kept artificially low to
assistagricultureandhousing.Pumping
theboglandsdryleadstooxidationand
acceleratesthecompactionofthesoil,
acyclethatcausesthealreadynaturally
low-lyingareasofthecountrytodrop
evenfurther.Insomecasesthismay
amounttotwometersbelowsealevel,
withsomeexceptionalcases,suchasthe
HaarlemmermeerpolderandAlmereinthe
central Netherlands, lying five or even six
metersbelowtheAmsterdamOrdnance
Datumlevel(NAP).
Decliningsecurity,lackofbuffercapacity
inperiodsofextremerainfall,lackoffresh
waterduringextremedroughts,quality
problemsduetotheadmissionofoutside
watertothearea,andadvancingsaline
seepageareincreasinglycausingdamage
andraisingmanagementcostswhich,in
manycases,arenowdisproportionatein
relationtoagriculturerevenues,whichare
theprimaryreasonformanagingthewater
thisway.Thiswayofworkingmustcome
toanend,evenintheabsenceofclimate
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 37
>>
high and Low in the netherlands
change,whichwillonlyincreasethe
necessityandtheurgencyofmanagingthe
waterinaradicallydifferentway.
measuresOnewaytolimitnuisanceandactual
damageisriskmanagement,which
involvesthefollowingprimarymeasures:
n Building a second dyke behind the
primarydefence.
n Settingupasatisfactoryevacuation
plan.
n Changingthecapacityoffunctionalities
orareastorecover.
n Compartmentalisation:
n Controlled flooding should no longer
affectanentiredykeringbutonlypartof
it,andshouldnotcausedamage.
n Compartmentalisationandprotective
functions:compartmentalisationinurban
areas,forinstance,canensurethat
services such as hospitals, fire brigade
orpolice,orevacuationroutes,will
remainoperationalduringadisaster.
n Damagedfunctionalitiesordisaster-struck
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management38
ThelowestpointintheNetherlandsis6.76metersbelowsea-levelwhilethehighestpointis322.70metersabovesea-level.
areasrecoverfasteriftheenergysupplyor
transportnetworksremainintact.
other measuresn Modification / reconstruction of the
sewagesystem.Donotspecifyasingle,
nation-wideformatbuttailorittolocal
conditions:urbanproblemsandthosein
theinteriorcountrysidearedifferentfrom
thosealongthecoast.
n Openupthefunctionalitytodebate.
Howdothecostsandconsequencesof
keepingthepeatlandsdrycomparewith
agriculturalyields?
n Adoptalayeredapproach:makebetter
useofthecharacteristicsandproperties
ofdifferentsoillayers.
n Allocatesitesnearpumpingstations
andpeatlandareaswherewatercan
bestoredandallowmultifunctionaluse:
leisure,newnature,andnewtypesof
agriculture(e.g.samphirecultivation).
n Flexible,temporarywaterdefencesasan
alternativetodykes.
n Reconsiderationofbuildingplansinvery
low-lyingareas.
n Managedurbanisation.
n Intensivecollaborationbetweenthe
varioustiersofgovernmentandan
integratedapproachtothewaythe
poldersarelaidout.
n greaterattentiontowater-related
aspectswhenbuildinginthelowestpart
oftheNetherlands,theZuidplasPolder
(6mbelowsealevel).
more InFormaTIon:
MinistryofTransport,PublicWorksand
WaterManagement
www.rijkswaterstaat.nl
DienstLandelijkgebied
(RuralAreasService)
www.dienstlandelijkgebied.nl
Staatsbosbeheer
(NationalForestryService)
www.staatsbosbeheer.nl
ProjectbureaudriehoekRZgZuidplas
(Rotterdam–Zoetermeer–goudaTriangle
Project Bureau)
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 39
what can communication mean?
current thinking on climate
change is largely based on
research, monitoring and our
daily experience: the climate is
changing. if we seek to avoid
worse (mitigation) and want to
take steps to adapt (adaptation),
then what is needed is legitimacy
provided by policy makers, a
scientifically sound knowledge
and public support to adapt.
communication plays a key role
in building public support for
adaptation and mitigation.
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management40
Communication
TheNetherlandsisn’tjuststanding
by,butistacklingsuchproblems
as increased river flows, sea level
rise,extremerainfallandextremedrought
bymeansofamajorresearchprogramme,
ClimatechangesSpatialPlanning,andthe
interdepartmentalprogrammeARK(Spatial
PlanningandAdaptationtoClimate).
Toencourageincreasingawareness,
bothprogrammesplacehighpriorityon
communication,tokeeppolicymakersat
alllevelsofgovernment,theprivatesector
andthepublicatlargewellinformed.
Communicationpavesthewayforaction.
The netherlands Lives with WaterOverthepastfouryears,anumberof
organisationshavesucceededinraising
theawarenessofboththepublicand
administratorsbymeansofawideranging
campaign,“TheNetherlandsLiveswith
Water”,involvingcustomisedcampaigns
inthemassmedia,administrativeand
educationalcircles,andtheregions.Inthe
yearstocometheywillcontinuetouse
“TheNetherlandsLivewithWater”asa
powerfultheme,expandingitandwhere
possiblelayingstressonconcretemeasures
andexamples,recognisabletothepublic
andinspirationalforadministrators.
Collaborationwithregionalgovernments
will be intensified. (The organisations are:
MinistryofTransport,PublicWorksand
WaterManagement,Associationofthe
ProvincesoftheNetherlands,Association
of Dutch Water Boards, Association of
NetherlandsMunicipalities,MinistryofPublic
Health,SpatialPlanningandEnvironment,
andMinistryofAgriculture,NatureandFood
Quality)
“TheNetherlandsLiveswithWater”
campaignhasachievedgoodresultsbutthe
Dutchgovernmentwillneverthelesshaveto
concentrateevenmoreoncommunicating
theeffects,risks,andopportunitiesof
climatechange,andthemeasuresneeded
toadapttoit.Wherewaterisconcerned,this
meansfollowingthepathalreadyembarked
on:communicatetherisks,opportunities,
possiblefutureactions,available
knowledge,availabletools,etc.Along-term
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 41
>>
Communication
communicationstrategywillinvolveall
relevantstakeholderswiththenecessary
adaptationmeasuresinanopendialogue.
Thegoalistoensureactiveco-operation,
inwhichallstakeholdersaccepttheirown
responsibility.Theexperiencealready
gained,togetherwiththe“NetherlandsLives
withWater”campaign’sownnetworkwillbe
usedtothefull.
Visible “al Gore effect”Inmanyrespects,communicationabout
theclimateissueisunique.Theproblem
demandsalong-termapproach,even
thoughtheimpactscanbeobservedtoday.
Climatechangeiscurrentlyattractinga
greatdealofmediaattention,withspace
allocatedtobothcriticsandprophetsof
doom.Thankstothe“Algoreeffect”(‘An
InconvenientTruth’and‘LiveEarth’)and
the Bill Clinton Initiative, climate change has
becomeared-hottopic.Whatisatstake,
though,arenotjustthefactsofclimate
change,buthowtheyareinterpreted
andpresented.Forexample,theRoyal
NetherlandsMeteorologicalInstitute(KNMI)
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management42
Climatechangeisahottopicnowadays.Theproblemdemandsalong-termapproach,eventhoughtheimpactscanbeobservedtoday.
receivesmanyqueriesaboutthetruth
of statements made in the media. Both
explicitlyandimplicitly,discussionsare
colouredbythefactthatitiswehumans
whocausethegreenhouseeffect.The
urgency of the climate issue is reflected in
thedecisionsmadebygovernmentpolicy
makers,businessesandotherorganisations
(suchasNgOs)onsuchmattersasnature
conservationorthespatialplanninginthe
Netherlands.
Clinton Climate InitiativeRotterdamistheonlycityinthe
NetherlandsthathasjoinedformeruS
president Bill Clinton’s Climate Initiative,
whichinvolvesmorethan50oftheworld’s
greatestcities,eachwithapopulation
ofmorethan3million,togetherseeking
practicable,measurablesolutionsinthe
battleagainstclimatechange.TheClinton
ClimateInitiativeaskedRotterdamtojoin
asthecityisaparadigmexampleofthe
interactionbetweenseaport,industryand
city,united,eachstrengtheningtheother.
Assuch,itisuniqueintheworld.
Solutions and measures
1. hotspot TilburgTheclimateissueinvolvesmany
stakeholders,allofwhomhavetoaccept
thesamebasicpremiseswhileworking
towards a collective mission. The first steps
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 43
towardsaprocess-orientedapproachhave
beentakenintheTilburgarea,underthe
ClimatechangesSpatialPlanning(Klimaat
voorRuimte)programme,withgovernment,
NgOsandbusinesscomingtogether
onclimatechange.Manystakeholders,
potentialandactual,areinvolvedinthe
region.Theydonotcommonlyacttogether,
as a group, but all of them play a significant,
evenaleadingroleinsociety.
TilburgisalreadydoingalottocutCO2
butitisbecomingincreasinglyevidentthat
adaptationisalsoneedediftheimpacts
ofclimatechangearenottobecometoo
burdensome.TheTilburgareaissituated
14metersabovesealevel(theAmsterdam
OrdnanceDatumlevel,NAP).Afterheavy
rainfall,thecityexperiencesnuisancefrom
overflowing sewers and flooding. But the
futurealsoholdsprospectsoflong-termdry
periodsandheatwaves.Nevertheless,the
regionalsohasopportunities,especially
inthetouristindustry,whichcanbeseized
now.Tilburgisinitiatingaresearchprojectin
collaborationwithothergovernmentorgans,
AuguST2007
Hier(Dutchfor‘Here‘)isthenameofalargeDutchclimatechangeawarenessprogramwhosefundamentalideaitistostresstheimmediatenecessitytoimplementadaptationprojectsandinitiativestoclimatechange.
universitiesandmarketstakeholders.A
localarrangementisbeingforgedbetween
theparticipantstodevelopagoodplan,
theimplementationofwhichisguaranteed.
Thecentralquestionsintheresearchare:
whatwillchangeintheregion?Howshall
wecopewiththesechanges,andwith
whom?Ifthisplanistosucceed,effective
communicationbetweenthestakeholders
isvital.
2. FramesInformationaboutthecurrent‘stateof
play’oftheclimateissueisbestserved
byanunambiguouscommunication
strategy.Initiativesarecurrentlybeing
developedatmanylevelstocontribute
tothis.IntheNetherlandsaresearch
projectwasrecentlystartedtoremove
blockagesinthecommunication
betweenstakeholdersandtopromote
theresponsibleinterchangeofviews.
TheworkisbeingdonebytheInstitute
forEnvironmentalStudiesoftheVrije
universiteitAmsterdam,theCopernicus
InstituteforSustainableDevelopment
climate changes dutch water management44
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management
andInnovationatutrechtuniversity,the
FacultyofEngineeringTechnologyat
Twenteuniversity,andtheNetherlands
EnvironmentalAssessmentAgency.The
researchismainlydevotedtounderlying
conceptualschemes(frames)which,
forexample,cometoforewhendealing
withsmallprobabilitiesanduncertainty.
Intheirconsultationswithgovernment,
businessandotherorganisationsin
society,scientistsobviouslyusetheir
ownconceptualschemes.Thequestion
is,though,whatdotheseschemeslook
like?Howdotheyimpacteachother?And
canthingsbedonebetter?Theprojectis
plannedtolastfortwoyears.
3. hIer climate campaignHIER(whichmeans‘Here’inDutch)isa
majorDutchclimatechangeawareness
programme, thebasicideaofwhichis
tostresstheneedtoimplementclimate
changeadaptationprojectsandinitiatives
rightnow.HIERintroducesanew
brandname,unitingandrepresenting
allinitiativesthatreducetheimpacts
ofclimatechange.Thecampaign
involvesmorethan40nationalcharity
organisations,governmentandthe
businesscommunity.Allpartiesinvolved
havesigneduptothesamemessage:we
canstopclimatechange;wemuststop
climatechange,rightnow,forthefuture,
HEREandeverywhere.Thiscouldformthe
startingpointofaninternationalcampaign.
Climateadaptationprojectsarethekeyto
convincethegeneralpublicanddecision
makersthatclimatechangeisnotan
abstract,long-termenvironmentalproblem,
butincreasinglyamajorsocialissue,one
withimpactsathomeandthroughoutthe
world. Building on this growing sense of
urgency,theroleofenvironmentalNgOsis
toshowconsumerstherightchoices.
Thejointcampaignincludesseveral
strategies:
n AverysuccessfuleventwithAlgoreat
thelaunchof‘AnInconvenientTruth’;
n Amassmediacampaign;
n FieldtripstoNepal,CentralAmerica
more InFormaTIon:
n VrijeuniversiteitAmsterdam,Institutefor
EnvironmentalStudies
www.ivm.falw.vu.nl
n www.hier.nu
n www.senternovem.nl(ProjectDevelopment
HotspotTilburg)
n www.nederlandleeftmetwater.nl
andSouthAfricawithcelebritiestotell
thepublicabouttheimpactsofclimate
changeonpoorpeople;
n Acampaignfocusingonprimaryschools.
The first prize was a concert by Holland’s
popular rap artist Ali B;
n Dailyweatherprogrammeincludinga
climateitemeveryday.Theitemsare
proposedbytheRoyalNetherlands
MeteorologicalInstitute,Nature’s
Calendar,andtheparticipatingNgOs.
Thereisalsoan‘actionoftheweek’;
n Freepublicity.
45
AuguST2007climate changes dutch water management46
Contactsn climate changes spatial Planning
(KlimaatvoorRuimte)
www.klimaatvoorruimte.nl
n alterra (part of wageningen university
and research centre)
www.alterra.nl
n national Programme arK
(ProgrammaAdaptatie
RuimteenKlimaat)
www.programmaark.nl
n leven met water
www.levenmetwater.nl
n habiforum
www.habiforum.nl
n comcoast
www.comcoast.org
n geodelft
www.geodelft.com
n ministry of transport, Public works
and water management
www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl
n Freude am Fluss
www.freudeamfluss.nl/eng
n waalweelde
n room for the river(RuimtevoordeRivier)
www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl
n tilburg hotspot
www.tilburg.nl
www.senternovem.nl
n Vewin
www.vewin.nl
n nederland leeft met water
www.nederlandleeftmetwater.nl(Dutchonly)
n Kiwa water research
www.kiwawaterresearch.eu
n Perfector-E: Norit X-Flow and PWN
www.norit.com
n rural areas service(DienstLandelijkgebied)
www.dienstlandelijkgebied.nl(Dutchonly)
n national Forestry service (staatsbosbeheer)
www.staatsbosbeheer.nl
n Rotterdam-Zoetermeer-Gouda Triangle Project
Bureau(ProjectbureaudriehoekRZgZuidplas)
www.driehoekrzg.nl(Dutchonly)
n Vrije universiteit amsterdam, institute for
environmental studies
www.ivm.falw.vu.nl
n hier (here) campaign
www.hier.nu
www.klimaatbureau.nl
n Knmi
www.knmi.nl(Dutchonly)
AuguST2007 climate changes dutch water management 47
n ThispublicationisajointcooperationbetweentheNetherlands
WaterPartnership(NWP)andtheCo-operativeProgrammeon
WaterandClimate(CPWC)
n SupportedbyPartnersforWater,theNetherlands
n Editors:H.vanSchaik,F.Ludwig,andM.R.vanderValk
(CPWC), B. Dijkshoorn (NWP), Synergos Communications
n Contributionsfromseveralgovernmentalinstitutionsandprivate
companiesintheNetherlands
n Delft,TheNetherlands,August2007
about the nwP
TheNetherlandsWaterPartnership(NWP)isanindependentbody
setupbytheDutchprivateandpublicsectorsintheNetherlands
toactasanationalcoordinationandinformationcentreforwater-
relatedissuesabroad.TheprincipalaimsoftheNWPareto
harmonisetheactivitiesandinitiativesoftheDutchwatersector
abroadandtopromoteDutchexpertiseinwaterworldwide.
about cPwc
TheCo-operativeProgrammeonWaterandClimateaimsto
improvethecapacityinwaterresourcesmanagementtocopewith
theimpactsofincreasingvariabilityoftheworld’sclimate.
acknowledgements
For further information please contact:
Co-operativeProgrammeonWaterandClimate
Mr.HenkvanSchaik,ProgrammeCo-ordinator
P.O. Box 3015 / 2601 DA Delft / The Netherlands
Tel:31(0)152151882/E-mail:[email protected]
www.waterandclimate.org
NetherlandsWaterPartnership,NWP
Mr. Lennart Silvis / P.O. Box 3015
2601DADelft/TheNetherlands
Tel:31(0)152151728/E-mail:[email protected]
www.nwp.nl
WaterWatch,www.waterwatch.nl
StichtingDeltawerkenOnline,www.deltaworks.org
Beeldbank Verkeer en Waterstaat
Photos
DuraVermeer,www.duravermeer.nl
MunicipalityofTilburg
RijkswaterstaatMaaswerken,www.maaswerken.nl