Policies & regulations for drought

In the Netherlands, there are no dedicated drought policies. Instead, a distinction is made between crisis management during drought events and the proactive approach of the National Delta Programme, which includes the Freshwater Delta Plan. This plan aims to identify and implement policies and measures to address future drought challenges.

Crisis management during a drought

Throughout the year, water levels, water stress and droughts are actively monitored. The National Water Distribution Coordination Committee (in Dutch: Landelijke Coördinatiecommissie Waterverdeling (LCW)) is a national collaboration between Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), water boards, Dutch water authorities, National Association of water companies in the Netherlands (Vewin), the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), and relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.

Once the demand for fresh water is expected to become higher than the supply available from the main rivers and canals, the LCW engages the first stage of crisis management. During this stage, the LCW monitors the situation and coordinates temporary actions on a national level and advises on how to most efficiently distribute water. For water distribution, the LCW applies the prioritisation rules of water (in Dutch: verdringingsreeks water). The prioritisation rules of water prioritise the different water users based on the severity of the potential impact, the irreversibility of the potential impact and the expected water availability. The goal is to minimise societal and economic damage. It also serves a clear purpose of communication among different water users and sectors.

The highest priority category is focused on the most essential functions for water. For example, some dikes and other flood protection structures are vulnerable to a drought, as it can cause cracks and subsequently increase its failure probability. Therefore, these flood protection structures have the highest priority. The water level around dykes should not sink too far and will receive water above all other categories. The surface water level around the dikes should be remained according to the Water Level Regulation Plan (in Dutch: Peilbesluit). In the same category, irreversible damage to nature and prevention of accelerated subsidence is also included. The subsequent category includes drinking water and water needed for the energy supply.

Note that the prioritisation rules of water, see table below, differs from the European Commission’s statement on water stress and droughts. The European Commission states that drinking water is the highest priority during a drought. However, as a drought can have significant impact on flood protection, with the risk of damage and casualties, this is included as a higher priority in Dutch policy.

When a drought event becomes more severe, the second stage of crisis management is engaged, which is led by the Water Shortage Management Team (in Dutch: Management Team Watertekorten (MTW)). The MTW is engaged when the existing measures are not sufficient for the drought or when there are bottlenecks with the prioritisation rules of water. The third and final stage of crisis management is engaged when the drought is causing a national level threat with large expected societal and economic impact. During this stage, the highest governmental level is involved. For more information on the different stages of crisis management and the prioritisation rules of water, please refer to the National Manual for Water Distribution and Drought (PDF).

National Delta Programme – Freshwater Delta Plan

Fresh water is one of the three themes in the National Delta Programme. The aim is to make the Netherlands resilient to freshwater shortages by 2050. For more information, we refer to the Delta Decision for Fresh Water.

The main objectives are:

• A healthy and balanced water system
• Protecting critical user functions
• Using water effectively and economically
• Developing knowledge, expertise, and innovations in the water domain
• Improving the competitive position of water-dependent sectors

The Freshwater Delta Plan includes measures and studies relating to the availability of fresh water in the Netherlands. The national government and the freshwater regions draw up the Delta Plan. The freshwater regions in the Netherlands are set up to deal with the availability and distribution of freshwater in an efficient, area-specific way. The implementation of phase 1 of the Freshwater Delta Plan (2015-2021) has now been largely completed. The national government and regional parties together invested over €430 million. Examples are the enlargement of the  Water Supply Route (KWA), the Implementation of the water level decree for Lake IJssel and Markermeer, Texel’s Fresh Future, the Zeeland Freshwater Living Lab and Noordervaart. The full list of measures can be found in the Freshwater Delta Plan phase 1.

The measures for the second phase of the Freshwater Delta Plan were adopted in 2021 and implementation began in 2022. The Delta Fund has earmarked € 250 million for the second phase of the Delta Programme Freshwater. Together with a regional co-financing of €540 million, the second phase of the Freshwater Delta Plan will implement a package of measures amounting to around €800 million.

Besides the Freshwater Delta Plan there are additional programmes and strategies. For example the Climate-Resilient Freshwater Supplies in the Main Water System (KZH) strategy. This strategy is part of the Delta Program Freshwater and will be expected to provide the robust freshwater supplies.

The strategy builds on lessons learned during the severe drought of 2018. At that time, Dutch water authorities managed the limited freshwater supply efficiently and took timely action to distribute it where it was most needed. A key part of this approach is "smart water management", a system where freshwater is actively directed to different regions based on real-time information. For example, when salty seawater starts to move inland and threatens freshwater supplies (a process called salinisation), water managers adjust the flow of freshwater to push back the salt and protect water quality. This flexible way of managing water doesn't require building new infrastructure but relies on careful monitoring and control of existing water systems.