Drought is
increasingly becoming a threat to both Germany and the Netherlands. The dry
summers of recent years clearly demonstrate that cross-border cooperation is
urgently needed. Just like water, drought does not stop at the border.
Drought Strategies in Water Management
The need is
recognized on both sides of the border. However, drought has only recently made
its way onto the cooperation agenda between Germany and the Netherlands after
several dry years. This is partly due to the absence of national and European
drought policies and limited monitoring and exchange of drought data.
Additionally, different data, models, and assessment methods are used in
Germany and the Netherlands.
The Interreg-VI
project DIWA, which stands for Drought Strategies in Water Management,
aims to develop a cross-border drought management approach that will allow
stakeholders in the DIWA area, as well as parties in other border regions of
the Netherlands and Germany, to face the climate developments related to drought
in the coming years. The project partners are working together within DIWA to
achieve better alignment between governments and area managers in both the
Netherlands and Germany.
The DIWA project
partners are implementing several measures to achieve this goal. A governance
model for drought management is being developed. Additionally, the goal is to
expand and automate the network of precipitation and groundwater monitoring
stations, contributing to better predictions and sustainable groundwater
management. The partners are also developing scenarios and strategies,
evaluating drought risks, and assessing the effectiveness of the measures
taken. Furthermore, anti-drought measures are being implemented through area
pilot projects. The knowledge gained from these measures will ultimately be
compiled into a digital guide for stakeholders in the border regions.
Partners and Funding
The following ten
partners are collaborating in the Interreg DIWA project: Waterschap
Vechtstromen (lead partner), Waterschap Rijn en IJssel, Province of Gelderland,
University of Twente, Kreis Borken, Kreis Steinfurt, Landkreis Emsland,
Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim, Vechteverband, and EUREGIO. The Cross-Border
Platform for Regional Water Management (GPRW) is the initiator of the DIWA
project. The project has a budget of over 6.5 million euros, is part of the
INTERREG Germany-Netherlands program, and is financially supported by the
European Union, the Ministry of Federal and European Affairs and Regional
Development of Lower Saxony, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry,
Climate Protection, and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Provinces of
Gelderland and Overijssel.
