Integrated river basin and watershed management
River basin management requires integrated land use planning of upland areas, taking into account the impact of the proposed land management system on the lower reaches of the catchment. These considerations distinguish the management of catchment areas, i.e. watershed management, from local land management, which hardly looks beyond the bounds of its spatial interventions. Upland systems are linked in a very complex and fragile way - ecologically as well as socioeconomically – to the lower reaches of a river basin. Crosssectoral and participatory approaches are needed and attention must be paid to the proper institutional setting and attention must be paid to the proper institutional setting.
Thus, watershed management seeks to coordinate and optimize the various land uses in the watershed and focuses on impacts on hydrology and ecology, and on the people living in or depending on the watershed.
Promising areas of dutch expertise are specifically modeling, risk management, water quality management and institutional strengthening. The Dutch parties can contribute through an integrated approach to river basin management, especially in long-term alliances with foreign parties.
Read more on the website of Arcadis Euroconsult BV...
Integrated River Basin Management in the Netherlands
Following the high-water situations across Europe in 1993 and 1995, international co-operation in controlling high water gained momentum. The Netherlands lies in the delta of the Rhine, Meuse, Schelde and Eems rivers. The water retaining capacity of the catchment areas of these rivers has decreased over the last decades. The measures implemented in countries lying upstream make an essential contribution to maintaining safety in the Netherlands. Measures abroad can, however, only partially solve the problems faced in the Netherlands. For this, measures at home are also required.
Instead of elevating the present dykes to protect the hinterland against flooding, the water now gets more space. In this way, flooding can be reduced to allocated areas. To read more on possible measures, visit the website of Room for the River...
Sources: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, 'Room for the River'