Policy trends in river and flood management in the Netherlands since the 2010s - part 2

This part covers the organizations involved in Dutch water management and their roles. The next part delves deeper into the most relevant policies at each organizational level and how they cooperate and guide others.  

Involved Dutch governmental organizations[i], [ii]

 

As the Netherlands is part of the European Union, legislation and guidelines from an EU level have to be taken up as part of the national policies. Many different parties are involved in water management, from the central government down to the municipalities, and they each have different responsibilities ranging from policy development to implementation. The below list gives an overview of the main involved parties. 

• National government

The national government enacts laws, protects the Netherlands against flooding, and manages large rivers, canals, and lakes. It is responsible for creating national water policy and nationwide measures on water. It also sets flood safety norms for the primary flood defenses, which is the system of dykes and dunes that protects the country from the sea and the water in the major rivers. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water is the most important subdivision involved, and the so-called Delta-Commissioner, an independent commissioner responsible to oversee the implementation of delta program policies, is a part of this ministry.  

• Rijkswaterstaat (RWS)

Rijkswaterstaat is the public works department responsible for managing national waters. These are large bodies of water such as the sea, rivers, and some of the larger canals. RWS issues timely warnings to the relevant government bodies when a high water event is expected or there is a storm at sea. It also maintains dykes, dams, floodgates and storm surge barriers. It protects the coastline and ensures rivers have the room they need, for example by deepening flood plains and digging side channels.

• Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI)

The KNMI creates a special weather forecast daily for Rijkswaterstaat, with the precipitation                 expectations for the tributaries of the Rhine and Meuse rivers.[iii] 

• Provinces (12 in total)

The provinces supervise water boards, monitor the drinking water supply, issue permits for water extraction, and coordinate regional policy. Provinces are responsible for developing regional policies arising from the national water policy. They also have operational tasks relating to water management, such as removing groundwater from the soil. The Environmental and Planning Act stipulates that managing the quality of the groundwater is also the task of the provinces.  

• Waterboards (21 in total)

Local water authorities named water boards manage water in the districts they serve. Some also maintain shipping channels and rural roads. Water boards manage dikes, streams, ditches, and treat wastewater. They also take care of small valuable water bodies such as ponds and springs. They ensure that the water is clean and fish stocks are up to par. They take measures to protect against flooding and ensure that farmers have enough water for their crops. They are also responsible for waste water purification. They draw up management plans to ensure good quality water in their districts. They are also responsible for regional flood defenses, which protect against flooding from canals.

• Drinking water companies (10 in total)[iv]

Vitens and other water companies are responsible for the extraction, treatment, and supply of drinking water.

• Municipalities (342 in total)

Municipalities manage the sewerage system, groundwater in public spaces, and the drainage of rainwater during heavy rainfall through the sewage system. 

• Local network

Local networks can act as organizer and intermediary between the above listed organizations. An example is the Twents Waternet for 14 municipalities, the province, and the waterboard. This prevent reinventing the wheel as all efforts to investigate, develop, and spread information is coordinated, by means of e.g. a climate atlas showing future regional impacts[v].

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[i] https://www.overijssel.nl/onderwerpen/water/

[ii] https://www.government.nl/topics/water-management/water-management-in-the-netherlands

[iii] https://www.knmi.nl/kennis-en-datacentrum/uitleg/hoogwaterberichten

[iv] https://www.easyswitch.nl/waterleveranciers-overzicht/

[v] https://twn.klimaatmonitor.net