The climate barge: Heritage and climate adaptation in the Dutch province of South-Holland

In the project Heritage uncovered; Tow barge canals in a water management context, the future value of tow barge canals for climate adaptation has been studied. The project focused on the area between the cities Leiden, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam and Gouda, with a surface area of km2, and the tow barge canals the Vliet, the Schie, the Gouwe and...

Groundwater Vulnerability in a Megacity Under Climate and Economic Changes: A Coupled Sociohydrological Analysis

Groundwater depletion has become increasingly challenging, and many cities worldwide have adopted drastic policies to relieve water stress due to socioeconomic growth. Located on the declining aquifer of the North China Plain, Beijing, for example, has developed plans to limit the size of the city’s population. However, the effect of...

Raising Waters: A circular water-based vision for an adaptive future of South-Holland

The Netherlands, and in particular South–Holland, is to a large extent below sea level, making the region vulnerable to environmental challenges linked to climate change. According to IPCC, a sea-level rise of two to five metres is not excluded, while the Delta committee advised the government recently to not invest in new infrastructure in the...

Resilient by design: a modelling approach to support scenario and policy analysis in the Olifants River Basin, South Africa

In this paper, we report on a concerted modelling effort in the South African water resources sector in which system dynamics provides the paradigmatic framing for both a stakeholder engagement process and for developing an underpinning, integrative simulation model. We describe the design of the parallel modelling approach and examine the...

The water balance and climate change in Lelystad

The urban area is complex. It consists of buildings, roads, green areas and surface water. The subsurface is just as complex. Interaction between groundwater and drainage, seepage from deeper groundwater aquifers and interaction with surface water make it difficult to determine what is happening. The urban area is also sensitive to damages, both...

City Blueprints: 24 Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of the Urban Water Cycle

Climate change, population growth and increased consumption, coupled with urbanization, are all placing increased pressure on water management. This global challenge can often best be addressed at the local level, e.g. in cities by optimizing the role of civil society. Although there are approaches for assessing the sustainability of countries...

“SimDelta”: Inquiry into an internet-based interactive model for water infrastructure development in The Netherlands

The Dutch Delta Program is currently developing new government policies for flood protection and fresh water supply. Decision support instruments have to address the program’s technical and political complexity. The water system functions are highly interwoven and would benefit from an integrated approach on a national level, with decisions...

A different approach to water: Water management policy in the 21st century

This document outlines the Cabinet's position on water management policy in the 21st century. Immediately fuelling this is my concern about increasing water levels in the rivers, flooding, and the accelerated rise in sea level. In a country like the Netherlands, the geography of which is dominated by the sea and the mouths of four great rivers,...