In preparation of the Delta Programme 2017, the Delta Programme Steering Group met on 21 April in order to discuss the progress made with respect to elaboration and implementation. The Steering Group also discussed the set-up of the Delta Conference. Some items are highlighted below.
Delta Decisions
The legal embedding of the Delta Decision on Flood Risk Management is on schedule. The Bill on new standards for primary flood defences was submitted to the House of Representatives on 23 March. In consultation with managers and experts, the central government is now elaborating the associated “Statutory Assessment Instruments” scheme. The assessment instruments are important for the coordination of the technical assessment and the managerial assessment.
The Association of Dutch Regional Water Authorities has initiated a temporary committee on pluvial flooding. The most recent KNMI [Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute] scenarios indicate that climate change has proceeded at a more rapid pace than assumed when establishing the current pluvial flooding standards. The pluvial flooding tasking thus appears larger than originally foreseen. The temporary committee will look into the review of the current pluvial flooding standards and explore which of the other governing bodies (Provinces and municipalities) could sit on this committee. The committee will report to the Spatial Adaptation Administrative Platform and the Association of Dutch Regional Water Authorities. It is the general opinion of the Steering Group that the Delta Programme needs to focus more attention on the topic of Spatial Adaptation; pluvial flooding is a growing problem that may also entail a substantial economic impact.
With respect to the implementation of the Delta Decision on Freshwater Supply, the term “supply level” has been replaced by “water availability”, which is more easily comprehended. The contents remain the same. The Steering Group has established that the agreements regarding Freshwater are generally implemented as scheduled. Last January, the Freshwater Administrative Platform arranged that the progress of water availability will be monitored on the basis of benchmarks. Along with the experience gained in the pilots, the monitoring results will constitute the input for the mid-term review in 2018. The benchmarks will be set down in the action plans for water availability in the freshwater supply regions.
Measuring – Knowing - Acting system
Delta Programme 2016 outlined the system we use in the Delta Programme to keep a finger on the pulse with a view to adaptive delta management: the Measuring-Knowing-Acting system. A first elaboration of the system has now been completed. The Steering Group discussed the proposal, in addition to annual progress checks (on schedule), to periodically examine, for example once every six years, whether the course of the Delta Programme needs to be reviewed (is on course). Such a review could be used to establish whether the preferential strategies can be reconfirmed or need to be adapted. This will be worked out in more detail.
Evaluation of multi-layer flood risk management pilots
The Steering Group discussed the conclusions and recommendations set down in the evaluation report “Die het water deert, die het water keert” [Whoever is harmed by water shall stem the water] by Erasmus University Rotterdam. This evaluation sets out the outcomes and lessons from the multi-layer flood risk management pilots. The Steering Group acknowledged the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report, and considers the findings quite useful for implementing multi-layer flood risk management in the areas. They recognised that multi-layer flood risk management can preclude the need for a further raising of the standards. Making good choices in layer 2 of multi-layer flood risk management – spatial planning aimed at reducing the impact of a potential flood – is important. Interconnectivity with the Environmental Visions at all scale levels is of paramount importance in this respect. The Steering Group intends to continue the discussion on this topic in its meeting of 9 June.
Advisory report by the Infrastructure and the Environment consultative body
The Infrastructure and the Environment consultative body has once more informed the Steering Group about the progress made, as it does prior to each Steering Group meeting. The body emphasised, among other things, the maintenance of a powerful organisation that exerts national control within the Delta Programme in the fields of flood risk management and freshwater supply, in order to ensure progress, interconnectivity, and uniformity. The recommendations and the Delta Programme Commissioner´s draft response have been discussed. The response will be presented as soon as possible following the Steering Group meeting.
Delta Conference on 3 November 2016
The Steering Group has arranged that, just as last year, each of the partners will adopt and prepare one of the parallel sessions on flood risk management, freshwater supply, spatial adaptation, and water governance. The conference will tie in with the implementation phase of the Delta Programme and offer more room for learning from one another. This phase will devote more attention to the commitment and role of civic society organisations, citizens, and the business community – through the Top Sector Water.