City Deal for climate-proof cities
The Dutch cities of The Hague, Dordrecht, Gouda, Rotterdam and Zwolle have taken the lead in drawing up a Climate Adaptation City Deal. Within the framework of the Dutch Urban Agenda (Agenda Stad), these five cities, as well as three district water boards (HHSK, WSDOD, HHD), and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment have signed this Climate Adaptation City Deal, along with seven (semi) private collaboration partners, during the working conference, in Zwolle, on Water-secure and Climate-proof Construction, Habitation, and Living.
The Delta Programme on Spatial Adaptation has been closely involved in the drafting of the City Deal. The agreement set down by the City Deal parties, viz. close collaboration during the four years ahead in order to reinforce their approach to climate-proofing the urban environment, both at national and international levels, chimes perfectly with the Delta Decision on Spatial Adaptation, in which government authorities have set down their intention of adopting climate-proof and water-robust methods for spatial design and re-design, by no later than 2020. The joint pursuit of innovation and practice-oriented learning also ties in well with these efforts. In the months ahead, the Climate Adaptation City Deal partners will jointly work out what issues will be addressed by whom, and which projects will be submitted to what authorities for concrete support. It is expected that some of the projects will be submitted to the Spatial Adaptation programme for support under the Incentive Programme.
The Climate Adaptation City Deal was ultimately signed by seventeen officials. The number of signatories could increase, because the Climate Adaptation City Deal is open to signing by other parties (municipal authorities, district water boards, other governments, businesses, organisations).