This part has a local case studies of spatial
management in river areas, showcasing how the different policies translate to implementation in practice.
De doorbraak – waterboard Vechtstromen and municipality
Almelo[i], [ii]
The
project called ‘the breakthrough’ is acting as an example project for future
large investment projects and lauded by the Delta Commissioner. Multiple
stakeholders invested in creating a completely new 13km long stream through
four municipalities. Likewise, it has multiple functions, namely to store water
and protect the city Almelo from floods, and to act as nature and recreation
area. It was mainly made possible by having the government purchase farm lands
when people were willing to move or trade lands. The project was completed, and
evaluated in 2018 on the following aspects:
·
Content:
to what extent were the intended goals and results reached?
· Management:
how were time, money, organization, risks, quality, and communication managed?
When were which decisions made?
·
Rounding
up: To what extent was the project finished and which activities remain?
From
a financial perspective some goals were met and some were not. The budget was
overdrawn by 11.7 million euros to a total of 52.5 million euros. However,
nearly 50% of these costs were funded by external partners. Despite its runtime
of several years, the project timeline was extended by only a few months. While
the water is not running through completely, the safety goals are met. There is
now room for additional water storage of 320,000 m3 and 600 hectares for
flooding. The natural design of the area is aligned with the goals of the
Ecological Main Structure policy guidelines and is performing beyond
expectations as several rare species have been observed. Additional benefits
include a better division of farmlands between owners, and increased tourism
and recreation. The strengths mentioned are the great internal and external
cooperation between many different stakeholders, the attention to
communication, and the focus on results. Improvement points include managing
expectations, waiting for support from other stakeholders, and having a single
clear message per organization.
Figure: Image of the route of
the project De Doorbraak[iii]
