18-03-2010

NL: National Water Plan 2015

In December 2009, the Dutch Government adopted the National Water Plan (pdf-file, 31,3 MB). This plan outlines the policy the State will implement in the period from 2009 to 2015 in order to achieve sustainable water management. The National Water Plan focuses on protecting against flooding and providing sufficient clean water as well as on various types of water use. The plan includes the measures that will be taken in respect of the above.  

The National Water Plan is the follow-up to the Fourth National Policy Memorandum on Water Management of 1998 and replaces all previous water management policy memoranda. The National Water Plan was drawn up based on the Water Act that went into force on 22 December 2009. Based on the Spatial Planning Act, the National Water Plan has the status of a structural vision in terms of spatial planning aspects. 

The National Water Plan contains an initial elaboration of the Delta Programme that is being drawn up in response to the recommendations of the Delta Commission in 2008. This programme is focused on sustainable safety and the freshwater supply. 

In addition to all the plans to keep the Netherlands safe and liveable in the future, the implementation of measures is already in full swing. This includes, for example, the projects Room for Rivers and the Maaswerken (Meuse Works) that should be completed by 2015. Along the coast too, so-called weak links are being tackled and coastal defences are being strengthened through sand suppletion activities. 

A printed version of the National Water Plan was made available in mid-January 2010 via the Postbus51 website. In the menu on the left you can find background information and the annexes to the National Water Plan, as well as the results of the public participation procedure that was held from 11 May to 22 June.

The National Water Plan was drawn up under the responsibility of Tineke Huizinga, Vice Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment  (VROM), the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), the Association of the Provinces of the Netherlands (IPO), the Association of Water Boards and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG).