Specialism 1: Water Management

Question 1

Why is water management important in The Netherlands?

Answer 1

1. A substantive part of the country is below sea level. The Netherlands has build polders for centuries and was build on a sea bed. The war against water was fought for ages.
2. The water is a friend:
   - Leisure
   - Infrastructure (Afsluitdijk is water management first, not infrastructure)
   - World heritage
3. Water is an enemy:
   - Relative (settlement) and absolute (climate warming) sea level rise
   - 1993 and 1995: too much water
   - 2003: too little water, dikes colapse
   - 2021: national priority, king to floods
   - 1953: start of watermanagement after national tragedy

Question 2

What are important dates for water management?

Answer 2

• 1953: national disaster with concrete response

- 1255: start water boards

Question 3

What are important water management project?

Answer 3

• Polders: below sea level
• Boezem water: Water from the polder. Water level fluctuates and is decided by policy of the water board (peilbesluit)
• Dijkring: riks calculations, what happens when a dike breaks. It will be caught by the Dijkring

Question 4

What are important actors for water management?

Answer 4

1. Water Boards
2. Provinces (what are water boards allowed to do, in what area, and when established and elected?)
3. Rijkswaterstaat (water management of national importance, like North Sea, Wadden Sea, main rivers, estuaries, Deltawerken)

Question 5

What is the role of Water Boards in water management?

Answer 5

Since 1255. It was about water management as a community (buurschappen) with collaboration)

Responsible for bridges, sluices, water mills, pumping stations (first wind and steam, later diesel, gas, and electricity), land reclamation, boezems, etc.

Responsible for water quality and quantity, but not tap water.

Based on the Dutch constitution (art. 133 GW)

Question 6

What is the institutional design for water management?

Answer 6

2009: integral Water Act:
- eliminating overlaps
- allowing inclusion of European guidelines
- clear tasks and responsibilities

Water system management: water boards, rijkswaterstaat, provinces, drinking or tap water company
Water chain management: private organisations and companies, staatsbosbeheer, municipalities, water boards

National Water Plan: Collaboration between ministries (infrastructure and water management, agriculture, nature and food quality, interior and kingdom relations). Internal integration (within water management, improve water quality and quantity) and external integration (with other specialisms)

Question 7

What are the tools and approaches of water management?

Answer 7

Influenced by disruptive events (floods and droughts)

1953: Deltawerken (technical solution, critical role for engineers)
1993/1995: Room for the river (spatial solution)

Water assessment (watertoets): if you want to build you get to know the challenges and what you need to do for water management

Water opportunities map: you can see where you can build

Question 8

What are the trends in water management?

Answer 8

• rising uncertainty in precipitation patterns (drought, floods)
• we still love water (water front homes)
• water level in The Netherlands