Working on the delta | The decisions to keep the Netherlands safe and liveable

175 Pages·2014·24.04 MB·English

Delta Programme 2015
Working on the delta
The decisions to keep the Netherlands
safe and liveable
Safety Freshwater New Urban Development and Restructuring
Rhine Estuary-Drechtsteden Southwest Delta IJsselmeer Region
Rivers Coast Wadden Region
The Delta Programme is a national programme, in
which the central government, provinces, municipal
councils and water boards work together, involving
social organisations and the business community.
The objective is to protect the Netherlands from
f ooding and to secure a sufcient supply of
freshwater for the generations ahead.
Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta II
Map 1 Delta Programme Mapped Out
Status in 2015

Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta III
Working on the delta
D elta Programme 2015
The decisions to keep the Netherlands
safe and liveable
Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta 1
Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta 2-3
Photo cover:
IJsselmeer Closure Dam, May 2014 At 12 km from the Frisian
coast lies Breezanddijk, the former IJsselmeer Closure Dam
construction island Zuiderhaven. In the top lef of the centre of
the picture is the Blue Energy Plant.
Photo page 2-3:
Lent, June 2014 By moving the dyke approximately 350 m inland,
the Waal is given more room at Nijmegen-Lent. In the new area
outside the dykes, an island is formed in the Waal because a large
secondary channel is being excavated. The island will provide room
for new urban development.
Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta 4
Contents
1 Introductory summary 6
2 Delta Decisions 11
2.1 Looking ahead in the delta 12
2.2 Delta Decision on Flood Risk Management 16
2.3 Delta Decision on Freshwater 24
2.4 Delta Decision on Spatial Adaptation 30
2.5 Delta Decision on the IJsselmeer R egion 34
2.6 Delta Decision on the Rhine-Meuse Delta 37
2.7 Decision on Sand 41
3 Preferential strategies 45
3.1 Customised work in practice 46
3.2 IJsselmeer Region 50
3.3 Rivers 53
3.4 Rhine Estuary-Drechtsteden 65
3.5 Southwest Delta 71
3.6 Coast 75
3.7 Wadden Region 77
3.8 Elevated sandy soils 81
4 Delta Plan on Flood Risk Management and Delta Plan on Freshwater 85
4.1 Introduction 86
4.2 Delta Plan on Flood Risk Management 88
4.3 Delta Plan on Freshwater 111
5 The Delta Fund: the fnancial basis of the Delta Programme 119
5.1 Introduction: analysis by Delta Programme Commissioner 120
5.2 The current status of the Delta Fund 121
5.3 Resources from other partners 124
5.4 The fnancial tasking of the Delta Programme 126
6 Delta Programme organisation and approach 131
6.1 Inform, consult and participate 132
6.2 Quality, knowledge, private parties and innovation 135
6.3 International collaboration 142
6.4 Delta Programme in a new phase 144
Appendices 153
Appendix 1 Standard specifcations for each dyke stretch 154
Appendix 2 Explanation of generic principles of Delta Decision on Spatial Adaptation 168
Appendix 3 Current status of and agreements on vital and vulnerable functions 170
Appendix 4 Overview of background documents 177
Publication information 180
A high-resolution version of the maps in this publication is available online.
Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta 5
1 Introductory summary
This year the Delta Programme Commissioner is New food risk management, predictable freshwater
proposing fve Delta Decisions to improve food risk supply, water-robust design
management policy and to ensure a sufcient sup- The twentieth century was the century of the Delta
ply of freshwater for the Netherlands in the long Works, which were built in response to the 1953 food
term. As such, the Delta Programme is designed to disaster. The twenty-frst century will be the century of
make the Netherlands a robust country that is resili- the resilient further development of this foundation
ent enough to handle climatic extremes; a liveable, and focusing more on the opposite of foods, namely
inhabitable and economically strong country. drought. We will take a new approach to working on
the delta in three key areas: food risk management,
Afer the Delta Plan, which followed the 1953 food the availability of freshwater and water-robust spatial
disaster and the advice from the 2008 Veerman organisation.
Commission, the decisions on food risk management
and freshwater that will be presented to politicians The food risk management policy is formulated along
this year will mark a new historical moment for our new, diferent lines. Over the past few decades, eforts
low-lying delta. This time, we are not developing were made to improve protection against fooding in
measures to recover from a disaster; we are accordance with the current statutory standard
developing measures to prevent a disaster. The (probability of overtopping). With new insights we can
Cabinet is very pleased with the achievements the now incorporate the approach to food risks into the
collaboration on the Delta Programme has enjoyed food risk management policy, by taking account of
over the last four years. The food risk management the probability of a food and the consequences.1 This
and freshwater tasking, in both the short and the long is a much beter approach. This new approach and the
term, and the framework of the approach are clear. norm to be selected ensure that the probability of
dying as a result of a food behind the dykes is not
Working on food risk management is an urgent higher than 1:100,000 per annum for any location. In
tasking for the Netherlands. Although we are safe, our areas with a relatively high potential of large numbers
delta is still vulnerable. We have to make good time if of victims, serious economic damage or failure of vital
we are to properly protect our people and our infrastructure of national importance, we will step up
economy from fooding in the future. Moreover, the level of protection. This protection level has been
freshwater can become a scarce commodity in dry translated into a new standard specifcation for each
periods. As such, the Delta Programme includes dyke stretch. This approach is based on the latest
proposals for national Delta Decisions, as a normative insights into food risks, the considerably increased
framework for working on our delta, and concrete population and economic values, and the plausible
preferential strategies for each area as a guide to forecasts for climate change. Bringing the food
implementing measures until 2050. defence systems in line with the proposed new
approach is no easy task, but there are major benefts
The objective is to ensure sustainable and robust food to it in terms of safety and efciency. For the frst time
risk management and freshwater supplies in 2050, ever, everyone living behind dykes and dunes will
which will allow our country to withstand the (greater) enjoy an equal level of protection as standard. Once
climatic extremes in a resilient manner. In this way, the the new approach has been implemented in the
considerably increased economic values and the coming decades, the economic risks associated with
higher number of people are well protected. We will foods will decrease by a factor of about 20 and the
ensure that the Netherlands is prepared for various group risk (probability of 1,000 food victims) will
scenarios. We will choose strategies and measures decrease by a factor of around 45. The new approach
that can give us fexibility in the way we respond to allows targeted investments in locations where the
new measurements and insights, by stepping up our
eforts if necessary or changing strategy. Everything is
at hand. 1 Trehwea rredseda rwchit hth aa tp froersmtigsi othues binatseisrn faotri othnea ln aewwa sradf feotyr oapeprraotaiochn awl irlel sbeea rch:
the Franz Edelman Award.
Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta 6
risks are the highest, making it a cost-efcient in order to arrive at (cost-)efective solutions and
approach. The main tasking is in the area around the investment decisions for society.
major rivers. In the coming 35 years, the necessary
investments in food risk management associated Adaptive delta management
with this new approach will be signifcantly lower The new approach centres around ‘adaptive delta
compared to our current approach. management’: looking at tasking ahead of us, using
that insight to put in place (cost-)efective measures in
Approximately 16% of our economy depends on the good time and remaining fexible to be able to act on
easy availability of freshwater in our country. The new opportunities, insights and circumstances.
Delta Programme has developed and shared a great Alternative measures are available should they be
deal of new expertise in freshwater supplies in the necessary in the future. That is also part of the adaptive
Netherlands as a result of joint fact-fnding initiatives approach to work: being practical, alert and prepared.
with all stakeholders. These have shown that Adaptive delta management has been embraced by all
freshwater can become a scarce commodity in our of the government authorities, social parties,
country if demand increases and the climate changes. knowledge institutes and companies as a practical
Periods of low water and drought may become more solution for dealing with developments, the direction of
frequent, and salinisation may increase in certain parts which is clear to us, but the rate of which is not.
of the country. The joint eforts of government
authorities and water users can keep freshwater Proposals for Delta Decisions
supplies at a satisfactory level. To this end, a number To be able to put our new approach into practice, we
of targeted investments are being made in the water need national frameworks. The Delta Programme has
systems and in economical water consumption. At the been gradually working towards this since 2010, using
same time, by agreeing supply levels, the availability all available and new knowledge and working with
of freshwater becomes transparent to users. This new government authorities, social organisations and the
approach will be introduced over the next few years. business community. This year, this has resulted in
proposals for structuring widely supported ‘Delta
The spatial organisation will become more climate- Decisions’, namely:
proof and water-robust in the coming decades. • Delta Decision on Flood Risk Management: new
The government authorities will work together and approach to protecting people and the economy
work systematically to ensure that any built-up areas against foods;
being (re)developed are able to beter withstand heat, • Delta Decision on Freshwater: new approach to
drought, pluvial fooding and foods. Special atention limiting freshwater shortages and making optimal
will be paid to vulnerable and vital uses such as use of freshwater supplies for the economy and
drinking water supplies, health care, energy, utility purposes;
telecommunications and IT. • Delta Decision on Spatial Adaptation: new and
targeted approach to water-robust and climate-
We are using this new approach to work on the delta proof (re)development in built-up areas;
on various fronts, with 2050 as the target year: in that • Delta Decision on the Rhine-Meuse Delta:
year, all primary food defence systems will meet the structuring choices for food risk management in the
standards associated with the desired protection Rhine-Meuse delta;
levels, freshwater supplies will be robust, freshwater • Delta Decision on the IJsselmeer Region:
consumption will be economical and the Netherlands’ structuring choices for food risk management and
spatial organisation will be as climate-proof as freshwater supplies in the IJsselmeer region.
possible.
In addition to the above, the Delta Programme
This ambition requires an ongoing efort over the next Commissioner is proposing choices for sand
35 years. Puting innovations into practice and linking replenishments along the coast: the Strategic Decision
the delta tasking to other social tasking are essential on Sand. Once the decisions have been embedded in
Contents Delta Programme 2015 | Working on the delta 7
national policy, legislation and administrative Environment and the umbrella organisations of
agreements, they can be elaborated and put into provinces, water boards and municipal councils have
practice from 2015 onwards. The Delta Decisions are underlined this commitment by signing the
the beginning of a well-thought-out follow-up to ‘Administrative Agreement on the Delta Programme’,
working on the delta. The Delta Programme with the intention of continuing the working method
Commissioner will report on this every year in and all government authorities embedding the Delta
accordance with the Delta Act. Decisions and preferential strategies into their own
plans. The administrative agreement is supplementary
Preferential strategies and Delta Plans to the Administrative Agreement on Water (2011). In
The central government, provinces, municipal councils this way, the central government policy arising from
and water boards have translated the proposed Delta proposals for Delta Decisions and preferential
Decisions into a preferential strategy for each sub- strategies will be embedded in policy in the form of an
region. For the sub-region in question, the preferential interim revision of the National Water Plan.
strategy forms the strategic guide to choosing
measures and provisions resulting from Delta Knowledge and innovation
Decisions. In many cases, the measures consist of an Knowledge development and innovation require
innovative approach to dyke improvements and sand continuous commitment. As such, the Delta
2 3
replenishments or of a combination of dyke Programme, the ministries involved, STOWA , NWO ,
improvements and spatial measures such as river knowledge institutes and the TOP Sector Water have
widening. A robustness test has shown that the drawn up the new Water and Climate Knowledge
strategies are heading in the right direction, also if the Innovation Programme. By continuing to be the world
climate changes even more drastically. As stipulated in leader in terms of water management, we can make
the Delta Act, every year the Delta Programme our own country optimally water-robust and climate-
Commissioner issues a proposal for a programme of proof, and the Dutch domestic private parties can
measures in the Delta Plan on Flood Risk Management distinguish itself internationally. The Delta Programme
and the Delta Plan on Freshwater, in detail for the frst approach has already become an export product itself:
six years and in broad outline for the next twelve the ‘Dutch Delta Approach’ is drawing considerable
years, plus a view up to 2050. atention around the globe. Various countries have
The scientifc substantiation of the proposed Delta called in the assistance of the Dutch government and
Decisions and preferential strategies has been given business community to apply the Delta Programme
special atention. Under the auspices of the approach to their own tasking.
Knowledge for Climate Programme, a panel of forty
independent experts has reviewed the substantiation. Delta Fund and co-funding
This panel has concluded that the Delta Decisions and The Delta Fund forms the necessary fnancial
preferential strategies have, broadly speaking, been foundation for investments in the implementation of
presented and substantiated in a clear manner. the Delta Programme. It provides a solid foundation,
with an average annual budget of over €1 billion until
Administrative Agreement on the Delta Programme the end of 2028. Given the major tasking in the
In the Delta Programme, all the administrative coming decades, the Delta Programme Commissioner
partners have worked together on the proposals for assumes that the Cabinet will make a timely decision
Delta Decisions and preferential strategies. This has on the further investments in the Delta Fund.
resulted in a unique national approach for a water- Co-funding from other stakeholders will also be
robust country until 2050. The commitment of all required for a number of measures. In this way, we
parties in the follow-up process is also important. will still have a prospect of sufcient fnancial
Every government authority is responsible for the
implementation of the proposed Delta Decisions and
preferential strategies within its own area of
2 STOWA: Dutch Foundation for Applied Water Research.
competence. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the 3 NWO: Netherlands Organisation for Scientifc Research.
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