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. In addition, the aim is to gain insight into the network of precipitation and groundwater measuring stations in terms of the necessary expansion and automation, which will contribute to better forecasts 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.
