Management. Integrated. Case Study 4. From Concepts to Good Practice. Integrated river basin Management. Public Disclosure Authorized

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1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Integrated Management From Concepts to Good Practice Case Study 4 The Delfland Basin and Delfland Water Board, The Netherlands Integrated river basin Management

2 Acknowledgments This Briefing Note Series was prepared by Peter Millington, consultant, previously Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Water Resources and Commissioner on the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Australia; Douglas Olson, World Bank Principal Water Resources Engineer and Task Manager for this Briefing Note Series; and Shelley McMillan, World Bank Water Resources Specialist. Guy Alaerts (Lead Water Resources Specialist) and Claudia Sadoff (Lead Economist) of the World Bank provided valuable inputs. The authors thank the following specialists for reviewing the Notes: Bruce Hooper and Pieter Huisman (consultants); Vahid Alavian, Inger Anderson, Rita Cestti Jean Foerster, Nagaraja Harshadeep, Tracy Hart, Karin Kemper, Barbara Miller, Salman Salman, Ashok Subramanian, and Mei Xie (World Bank staff). The authors are also deeply grateful to the Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership Program (BNWPP) for supporting the production of this Series.

3 Name of Organization: The Delfland Water Board History of Establishment: Floris V, Duke of Holland, recognized the Delfland Water Board as the competent regional water authority in The board acquired the right to supervise and control the construction and maintenance of the dikes and watercourses, and was of higher rank than the local shires. As soil subsidence continued, it became necessary to create inner embankments, called polders, from which surplus water was removed using windmills. Every polder also acquired its own board. However, the Delfland Water Board remained responsible for flood defenses against storm surges and river floods, as well as the boezem, the intermediate storage area between the polders and the sea or river. Extensive reorganization in 1976 terminated the 59 polder water boards, and their functions were taken over by the Delfland Board. The province of South-Holland made Delfland responsible for water quality management in Integrated river basin Management

4 2 Figure 4.1. The Delfland Water Board Area

5 Area: River Basin Flow: Basin Characteristics Delfland has a small catchment area of 41,000 ha and is densely populated, with 3,050 inhabitants/km 2. It comprises 20 municipalities, including The Hague and large parts of Rotterdam (see figure 4.1). The water balance of Delfland for an average year: Inflow Precipitation m3 Seepage m3 Input for water supply in dry periods m3 and flushing of the polders Total m3 Outflow Evapotranspiration m3 Discharge by pumping m3 3 Integrated river basin Management Population: Economy: Main Economic Activities: 1,250,000 The Gross Regional Product per capita is approximately US$36,940 in Various services, small industries, glass house horticulture, cattle, and recreation. More than 40,000 companies. Main Water Management Concerns: 1. Flooding 2. Drainage, flushing, and water supply 3. Pollution Monks and farmers began to cultivate the land of Delfland in the 11th century and it became a flourishing agricultural area. As a result of cultivation, the soil began to subside. Dikes needed to be built to protect life, cattle, and land against flooding. Faced with continued regional flooding since the 13th century, which hampered effective water management, local communities began to elect representatives for meetings to discuss and agree upon approaches to flood defense and other related regional water management issues. This led to the establishment of the Delfland Water Board. Later, the Delfland Water Board also became responsible for providing the water to flush the polders to prevent salinization by brackish seepage. It also expanded to serve agricultural, industrial, recreational, and other purposes In the 1970s the Provincial Council charged Delfland with combating water pollution.

6 4 Type of Organization: Mature autonomous, self-financing river basin organization. This RBO is an agency-type with regulatory functions, but is also responsible for implementing works, notably wastewater treatment. The election system for the Delfland Water Board was and still is based on the principle of interest-payment-say. The extent of an individual s interest (size of land) governs the tax payable by him or her to cover water management costs, as well as the level of participation in the institution. The water boards, with their unique bottom-up election system, are the oldest democratic institution in the Netherlands. Figure 4.2. The Water-related Planning Structure in the Netherlands Governing Level Policy Fields Character of the Plan Spatial planning Water management Environmental protection Nature conservation State National document on spatial planning National document on water National environment policy plan National nature policy plan Strategic Water management plan for state managed waters National environment programme Structure scheme nature and landscape Operational Province Regional spatial plan Provincial policy document on water Provincial environment policy plan Structure scheme nature and landscape Strategic Provincial environment programme Operational Water board and municipality Local land use plan Management plan for regional and local waters Municipal sewerage plan Municipal environment programme Operational Harmonization obliged by law Legal obligation to draft plan according to instructions of higher government The only plan binding citizens

7 1. Conceptual and Institutional Issues 3. Basin-wide Policies and Strategies 5 The Netherlands Constitution charges Government and Parliament to define the procedural rules for the creation and termination of water boards by provincial by-law. The Water Board Act of 1992 made the constitutional directives concrete in order to establish integrated (sub)river basin management organizations. The municipality is responsible for the sewerage system and for the collection of urban wastewater. Regional wastewater treatment and water quality control of the regional surface waters rest with the water board. The current Dutch legislation prescribes periodic updating of the water policy, as well as its harmonization with related policy fields. The legally binding harmonization system is described in the framework of the Water Management Act of 1989 (see figure 4.2). 2. Systems for Water-related Data Since its creation in 1289, the Delfland Water Board has collected a lot of data. The early data primarily concentrated on size of the participating drainage areas, water levels, and dike conditions. Later, adjacent drainage conditions were also monitored to ensure that sufficient space was available to store water and discharge water at low sea and river levels, to operate the draining windmills, and to mitigate reclamation activities. Until 1950, the water management data collected mainly concerned water quantity volumes and chloride concentrations. Since then, all water relevant data, particularly the water health parameters for water supply, recreation, and nature areas, are monitored and summarized in yearly reports. The summarized data are available on the website of the Delfland Water Board: This website also provides some information about the various modeling systems used to simulate the hydrologic and hydraulic changes in land and water use. There is also a Delfland information help desk. The European Union has defined many policies and strategies on water, including the conditions for urban wastewater treatment. The 2000 Water Framework Directive aims at an integrated approach to the policies and strategies in order to protect the aquatic ecosystems, ensure the sustainable use of water resources, further reduce pollution, and mitigate the impacts of flood and droughts. These goals are to be achieved stepwise from 2003 to Since the 1980s, arrangements for flood control and rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems have been convened between the riparian states of the Rhine and Meuse Basins. Delfland is a small sub-basin in the Rhine delta. The national agency Rijkswaterstaat, part of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management, is responsible for sharing and managing the Rhine water in dry periods according to the policy detailed in the Second Policy Document on Water (1985). In general, water supply for agricultural interests is the highest priority; navigation is the second. However at times, ecological interests are given priority over agriculture, navigation, cooling for energy production, recreation, and other uses. Maintaining the water levels in the polders and boezems has the highest priority in all water boards so much so that sometimes when no freshwater is available, brackish water is incorporated to prevent irreversible subsidence. The Delfland Water Board grants licenses to extract, use, and discharge water. A license is required for discharges >100m 3 /hour and extraction >20m 3 /hour. Discharges or extractions >10m 3 /hour must be reported to the Daily Board. Besides these quantitative limits, every discharge of contaminated water requires a license in which the discharge conditions are prescribed, as well the need for self-monitoring by the licensee. Water board officials supervise the license conditions and the self-monitoring. Integrated river basin Management

8 3. Basin-wide Policies and Strategies 6 Charging for water resources management in the Netherlands is based on the principle interest-payment-say The European Union has defined many policies and strategies on water, including the conditions for urban and its mirror, polluter/user pays, for local and regional wastewater treatment. The 2000 Water Framework water management services. These charges are based on Directive aims at an integrated approach to the policies the full cost recovery principle. For some purposes, such and strategies in order to protect the aquatic ecosystems, as drinking water consumption, an additional tax is levied ensure the sustainable use of water resources, further by the national government in an attempt to limit water reduce pollution, and mitigate the impacts of flood and use. Some 30 percent of the total water management droughts. These goals are to be achieved stepwise from costs is financed from the national budget. The remaining 2003 to Since the 1980s, arrangements for flood 70 percent is covered by the users: residents, homeowners and landowners, and polluting companies. control and rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems have been convened between the riparian states of the Rhine and Meuse Basins. 4. Participation and Communication Delfland is a small sub-basin in the Rhine delta. The national agency Rijkswaterstaat, part of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management, is responsible for sharing and managing the Rhine water in dry periods according to the policy detailed in the Second Policy Document on Water (1985). In general, water supply for agricultural interests is the highest priority; navigation is the second. However at times, ecological interests are given priority over agriculture, navigation, cooling for energy production, recreation, and other uses. Maintaining the water levels in the polders and boezems has the highest priority in all water boards so much so that sometimes when no freshwater is available, brackish water is incorporated to prevent irreversible subsidence. The Delfland Water Board grants licenses to extract, use, and discharge water. A license is required for discharges >100m 3 /hour and extraction >20m 3 /hour. Discharges or extractions >10m 3 /hour must be reported to the daily board. Besides these quantitative limits, every discharge of contaminated water requires a license in which the discharge conditions are prescribed, as well the need for self-monitoring by the licensee. Water board officials supervise the license conditions and the self-monitoring. Voters vote for a new water board assembly every four years. About 20 to 30 percent of the empowered voters exercise their right to vote. Direct information to the stakeholders is provided in the yearly assessment of the water board taxes. If necessary, stakeholders are informed about activities and projects in newspapers and leaflets and the procedure to lodge against such intentions. Stakeholders can legally require additional information and gain access to additional documentation. Stakeholders can complain against the intentions and decisions of the water board and have the right to appeal against decisions to higher authorities. The final appeal is with the European Court. 5. Awareness Raising This remains a very complicated issue, particularly for events like extreme storm surges and river floods, as it leads to the safety paradox; the higher the safety standard, the less likely it is that a dangerous event will take place and the greater the risk that dangers will be more and more trivialized. Awareness-raising regarding the health of the river basin is somewhat easier. Dutch water boards have specially educated and trained staff members to communicate with individuals, schools, pressure groups, and others. These staff members often teach

9 7 Integrated river basin Management water management issues in schools. In general, the information relating to water in schools is placed in a wider context. For example, global warming, its causes, and its consequences on air, water, and soil quality are discussed together. The vulnerability of the Netherlands to storm surges and river floods is always a primary subject. 6. Monitoring and Assessing Sustainability The conditions to achieve sustainability are set by the national and international frameworks, objectives, and conditions for river basin development. In the light of climate change and its consequences, monitoring, regular status reports, and mutual benchmarking in the Rhine, Meuse, and other EU river basins, as well as other basins worldwide are the basin sustainable performance indicators.

10 8 Tasks of the Organization and Staff Complement: Today, the interest-payment-say approach to the water As the inhabitants, companies, and industries have a vested interest, they pay for the water quality activities of this boards activities has broadened. Size of land is still a recognized interest. However, other stakeholders, including homeowners, inhabitants, industries, and companies in the interest-payment-say concept by participation of institution. The ruling polluter pays principle is mirrored have interests in the activities of the water boards. They representatives of inhabitants, companies, and industries also want proper flood defenses against storm surges in the water boards. The distribution of seats on the water and river floods, as well as adequate water management: boards to cover the concerned categories of landowners, draining in wet periods and supply during droughts. These homeowners, inhabitants, and business is constitutionally stakeholders pay the water board tax according to legally defined by the Province, under approval of the national established interest criteria. The water boards are also government (figure 4. 3). responsible for wastewater treatment in their territory. Representation on the Boards: Inhabitants 19 Landowners 5 Owners of houses and buildings 13 Users of business facilities 5 Total seats 42 Staff members 370

11 Figure 4.3. Composition of the Delfland Water Board 9 DAILY BOARD General Assembly Integrated river basin Management Chairman Local Inhabitants (19) Landowners (5) Owners of houses and buildings (13) Business Users (5) Copyright 2006 THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C , U.S.A. All rights reserved First printing February 2006 Please check the upcoming WBI training events.

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