Delta Commissioner's Weblog - week 17, 2010
The importance of climate buffers in the Delta Programme
It was an interesting and varied week. On Monday 26 April I launched the so-called ‘acceleration week’ for the Delta Programme, together with my dream team (as I like to call my DC Staff). We decided on the tone of voice of the programme, its contents and the subjects to be treated. Not a new policy paper but rather a realistic programme focused on implementation in order to keep the Netherlands safe and liveable, now and in the future. This week, my staff continued working on this together with colleagues from the Ministries of V&W, VROM and LNV.
On Thursday 29 April, we closed the successful acceleration week in the Zeetoren in Hoek van Holland, the homebase of the Delta Programme. Those present were members of my staff, representatives from the ministries – including the ministries of Finance, Economic Affairs, and the Interior and Kingdom Relations – and representatives of regional authorities (but where were Association of Provincial Authorities [IPO] and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities?) and the programme directors of the nine sub-programmes. Each of the chapters was run through in an interactive way; comments were made and questions asked.
In the afternoon I left for a meeting of the ‘natural climate buffers coalition', at the offices of the National State Forest Agency in Driebergen. My former colleague Chris Kalden received me there. It was an inspiring and constructive meeting at which I was informed about the importance of climate buffers for the Delta Programme. I could see just how well the nature organisations involved are cooperating pro-actively in this coalition. We made agreements for being involved in each other’s work in the future.
I had already encountered climate buffers during my working visit to the Delta-Meuse programme (part of the Rivers sub-programme). On Tuesday evening I met informally with the Limburg councillor Bert Kersten and his staff. On Wednesday we had a further, very constructive meeting at the provincial hall in Maastricht in which we talked freely about involvement and cooperation at the Rivers programme office in Nijmegen. Full of confidence, I then went on a working visit to Ooijen-Wanssum, where councillor Ger Driessen, the two chairmen of the water board and the alderman informed me about and took me on a tour of a 10 kilometre-long area along the Meuse that can be developed in the interests of safety by restoring an old branch of the Meuse River. A true model project for the Delta Programme. I also spoke to concerned residents in the area.
My next stop was Ravenstein/Oss. The alderman and chairman of the water board told me about the plans for developing this lovely spot along the Meuse, with a view to increased safety in the future. I spoke to a great many involved civil society parties. A fine plan. All these plans, however, still have to be funded. I made it clear that the necessary funds are not yet available and cannot be drawn from the Delta Fund alone.
Finally, the Noord-Brabant councillor Onno Hoes, the water board chairmen Lambert Verheijen and Peter Glas and alderman Van Heusden provided an explanation of the development of the Den Bosch green river project (another climate buffer). This is a true integrated area development, that includes the A59 motorway and the realisation of a new watercourse to the west of Den Bosch, in order to protect the city in the future against high water from the Dommel and the Aa. A good visit during which I once again learned a lot.
And then... free until 17 May. In the mean time I will be reading the draft texts that my dedicated staff and others will be drawing up during the May holidays.