Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments Wilbert van Zeventer, DG Water Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (V&W) Wilbert van Zeventer (DG Water)
Contents of presentation Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 2 Characteristics of Dutch Water management: Netherlands lives with water! Organisation Dutch government: Dutch polder model Implementation water framework directive and implementation of nitrates directive Examples: Discharge decree, Open Cultivation and livestock farming Discharge decree for greenhouse horticulture Monitoring and plant protection products
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 3 The Netherlands and water
Afsluitdijk 1932 Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 4
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 5 The Netherlands and water
North Sea flood of 1953 Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 6
Deltawerken (Delta works) Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 7
Greenhouse horticulture Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 8
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 9 Westland: greenhouse city 10.000 ha greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands Westland 1/3
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 10 Westland: greenhouse city
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 11 The Netherlands and water
Water land? Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 12
Land out off water Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 13
Flooding Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 14 2/3 of the Dutch live below sealevel
4 international riverbasins Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 15
Our policy motto Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 16 The Netherlands lives with water!
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 17 Organisation Dutch government 1 Rijkswaterstaat (RWS, part of ministry V&W) is responsible for our national waters: Rivers, main canals Big lakes, IJsselmeer, big waters in out South-western delta Dykes Water boards are responsible for water on a local scale: Dutch poldermodel First Water Board founded in 13 th century A long history in cooperation in water management Farmers pay 20 80 / hectare for water management
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 18 Organisation Dutch government 2 Ministry of of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (V&W) is responsible for the Pollution Surface Water Act (WVO) and the implementation of the WFD The ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and the ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (VROM) are leading for the implementation of the nitrates directive and legislation for the authorisation of plant protection products: Ministry of Water Management monitors if this is WFD-proof
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 19 Implementation WFD, process & principles Pragmatic, affordable and feasible Sufficient time for debates with society, administrators and politicians, early decision making Synergy between WFD, water quantity issues and other spatial developments Also plans for communication, legal instruments and knowledge development Today, a debate in out parliament about the implementation of de nitrates directive and the WFD
Discharge decrees Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 20 Pollution of Surface Water Act, special decrees for: Open Cultivation and livestock farming (2000) Greenhouse horticulture Water boards are responsible for the enforcement of this decrees
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 21 Discharge decree, Open Cultivation and livestock farming Combination of crop free zones and 50% low-drift nozzles reduce drift of pesticides with 90% Opportunity to decrease the crop free zone when a 90% low-drift-nozzle is used In 2007 legislation added for fruit cultivation (apple s, pear s etc): Fruit growers organisation financed research to develop low-drift combinations of crop free zones and spraying machines to increase the number of applications of pesticides for growing fruit Fruit growers can now make a choice out of 6 different packages For an other 7 th package a special permit of the water board is required
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 22 Discharge decree, Open Cultivation and livestock farming Control of crop free zones is simple But control of the right use of low drift nozzles is quiet difficult: Drift reduction depends also on the pressure of the spraying machine There are more than 100 low-drift nozzle-pressure combinations We working on a system to make the control the required pressure more easy by a special device in the spaying machine
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 23 Discharge decree, Open Cultivation and livestock farming Discharge decree is a success In1995-2000 50% of the surface water sites pesticides were above the Maximum Permissible Concentration (MPC) for one or more pesticides This decreased to 20-30% in 2001-2003 Evaluation in 2006 showed an estimated decrease of 86% (2000 2006): 75% by the discharge decree 25% by authorisation of pesticides
Discharge for greenhouse horticulture Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 24 With recirculation of water by growing plants on substrates it is possible to reduce the emission of nutrients to surface waters with 100%: 60% of Dutch greenhouse horticulture is now growing plants on substrates It depends on the natrium concentration in irrigating water: Growers collect rainwater from the roofs of their greenhouses in basins A minimum of 500 m 3 / hectare is compulsory Bigger basins, up to 3000 m 3 / hectare and more become common
Discharge for greenhouse horticulture Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 25 In legislation our first approach was regulation of nutrient inputs: But research showed that there was no relation between input and emissions of nutrient to surface waters: Some gardeners had sky high inputs, but no emission to surface water, because of recirculation We change our legislation to a regulation of emissions: This all in cooperation with the gardeners organisation and the water boards within the convention greenhouses horticulture and environment
Discharge for greenhouse horticulture Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 26 For pesticides: gardeners have to collect en use condense water as irrigating water: This is a severe measure for older greenhouses; It gives an impulse on reconstruction renewing of older greenhouse horticulture area s, such as Westland Recirculation also decreases the emission of pesticides to surface waters
Monitoring of pesticides Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 27 Transparent presentation of situation Pesticides-atlas of the Netherlands www.bestrijdingsmiddelenatlas.nl Also available in English
Monitoring of pesticides Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 28
Project Clean sources Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 29 Monitoring, pesticides atlas, basis for identification of problem substances Convention durable crop protection : Farmers organisations; Pesticides industry Water boards Drinking water companies Dutch national government Special attention for 25 problem substances: Assessment of emission routes Example for carbendazim: emission out crates with bulbs on farm yards
Diffuse pollution from agriculture in the Netherlands, history, process and instruments 30 More information: www.kaderrichtlijnwater.nl/english/summary/ www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl Or: wilbert.van.zeventer@minvenw.nl