Delta Commission
The government established a Delta Commission in 2007 that was led by former minister Cees Veerman. In 2008, the Commission issued an advisory report on flood risk management and freshwater supplies in the Netherlands. It pointed out that the situation in the Netherlands was not acute, but that it was urgent.
Safe homes, work and leisure
Before the Commission looked at flood risk management in the Netherlands, agreements dating back to the 1960s applied. It was high time for new agreements. The Commission studied topics such as water, housing, work, leisure, agriculture, nature, infrastructure and space. The central question was: how can the Netherlands continue to be protected from flooding, freshwater shortages and extreme weather? The objective: for everyone to live, work and enjoy leisure activities in the Netherlands safely, now and in 50 and 100 years from now.
Recommendations
The Commission’s advisory report included twelve recommendations relating to, among other things, the integrity of the dikes in the Netherlands, construction in areas with a higher probability of flooding, and the administrative, organisational, and financial aspects of measures to prevent flooding. The full recommendations from the Delta Commission can be found in the report ‘Working together with water’. The cabinet adopted the recommendations. This resulted in the Delta Programme we have today, including the Delta Commissioner and the Delta Fund.