Benefit of governance in DROught adaPtation(DROP)

An introduction

Joanne Vinke-de KruijfWater Authority Regge & Dinkel, July 2013

Why a project on drought, adaptation and governance?

Mitigation efforts are insufficient: we have no choice, but to

adapt now

• Drought and water scarcity already affects 17% of the EU population and 11% of the EU territory

• Impacts of climate change are projected to increase periods of drought and water scarcity

• Early adaptation provides opportunities, not adapting involves high costs

• Governance settings need to become more supportive: policy implementation is a key problem

2(EC, 2007, EEA report No 12/2012, EEA report No 3/2013, EU Blueprint)

Objective of DROP

To enhance the preparedness and resilience of Northwest

European regions to periods of drought and water scarcity

Key actions:

• Implementation of innovative adaptation measures

• Assessment of regional governance settings

• Defining and sharing of transnational lessons

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Some facts about DROP

11 partners from 5 different countries, with co-financing of

the Interreg IVB programme for Northwest Europe

• Budget of € 7 million (€ 3.5 million Interreg IVB subsidy)

• Duration: January 2013 – June 2015

• 6 water authorities working in bilateral teams on:

• Nature: Twente (NL) and Somerset (UK)

• Agriculture: Vlaanderen (BE) and Salland (NL)

• Freshwater reservoirs: Eifel (DE) and Brittany (FA)

• 5 knowledge institutes forming the governance team

Practice and knowledge partners

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Lead partner

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What questions are addressed?

• What early adaptation actions are effective?

• We test and implement pilot meaures for drought adaptation in agriculture, nature and freshwater

• How do regional governance settings support or restrict actions?

• We develop and apply a governance assessment tool in the regions of the pilot measures

• How can other regions in Northwest Europe prepare themselves for an increase of drought and water scarcity?

• We draw transnational lessons and actively share them with others in meetings and through a handbook and guide

Drought adaptation measures

Innovative solutions to drought and water scarcity

• Nature pilot

• Drought adaptation studies, water management plans, restoration measures and awareness raising

• Agriculture pilot

• Testing of an innovative steering mechanism in a newly created catchment and integration of drought conditions into existing management tools

• Freshwater pilot

• Disconnecting small reservoir, design of a saltwater intrusion lock and improved water quality management 7

Governance assessment tool

Governance forms the context in which drought adaptation

actions and interactions occur

• The governance setting can be described in terms of

• the multiplicity of responsibilities and resources, instruments, goals, actor networks and scales

• Supportive governance involves high degrees of

• coherence, extent, flexibility and intensity

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Project implementation

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Interregional Steering

Group (no meetings)

Transnational

Coordination and

Exchange7 meetings

Governance Team

develop/apply governance

assessment tool 2 study visits to 6 pilot regions

Drought Team

working in bilateral teams on

nature, agriculture and

freshwater pilots 2 partner region visits by 3 experts1 partner region visit by regional

stakeholders

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Project outcomes and results

• June 2013 – project information becomes available

• Project website (including project blog) and leaflet

• Report of the governance assessment tool

• Report with descriptions of the pilot measures

• 2014 – implementation of key project activities

• Governance reports and guide

• Handbook on project results

• 2015 – further dissemination of results

• National meetings and publications

www.dropproject.eu

Email: info@dropproject.eu

Twitter: @the_DROPproject

Slideshare: user/TheDROPproject

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