Agriculture & Rural Development Working Paper 15 The World Bank Changing Values Lead to Water Management Reform in the Netherlands Toward an Interdisciplinary and Integrated Approach to Agricultural Drainage J. Hoevenaars First Web posting/printin g: February 2004 ©The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agriculture & Rural Development Department 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20433 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions are the author’s own and should not be attributed to the World Bank, its management, its Board of Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. Some of the numbers quoted are estimates or approximations and may be revised. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this volume do not imply on the part of the World Bank Group any judgment on the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................viii Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................ix Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................x Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................xi 1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................17 2. Water Systems in the Netherlands .........................................................................................19 Water Balance Factors...................................................................................................................... 19 Natural Hydrological Diversity in the Netherlands.............................................................................. 21 Identification of Hydroecological Regions ......................................................................................... 23 Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................viii Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................ix Abstract ........................................................................................................................................10 3. Agricultural Drainage in Historical Perspective ..................................................................10 Development of Water Functions ...................................................................................................... 10 South Limburg Hills ......................................................................................................................... 11 Sandy Uplands ................................................................................................................................. 12 The Main River Plains ...................................................................................................................... 14 Coastal Polders ................................................................................................................................ 16 The Dawn of Water Management Institutions ..................................................................................... 18 Water Boards: Institutionalization of Water Management in the Netherlands........................................ 18 The Land Consolidation Program...................................................................................................... 20 4. Socioeconomic Impacts of Agricultural Drainage ................................................................21 Economic Benefits of Field Drainage................................................................................................. 22 The Effects of Decommissioning Agricultural Drainage...................................................................... 23 Drainage: Part of a Package Program................................................................................................. 25 Social Impacts of Agricultural Drainage on Farm Families.................................................................. 25 5. Present Trends and Issues in Dutch Water Management ...................................................27 Main Autonomous Developments...................................................................................................... 27 iv Main Environmental Issues............................................................................................................... 29 Institutional Issues............................................................................................................................ 37 The Emergence of Institutional Changes in Water Management .......................................................... 41 Some Practical Problems of Change .................................................................................................. 43 Modern Strategic Planning of Integrated Drainage Based on Local Diversity ....................................... 45 6. Conclusions and Lessons.........................................................................................................46 Agricultural Drainage, Water Management, and Land Management..................................................... 46 About Drainage Typology................................................................................................................. 46 Institutional Development for Integrated Water Management.............................................................. 47 Policy Recommendations .................................................................................................................. 47 Johan van Gestel.............................................................................................................................. 49 Frank Heijens ................................................................................................................................... 51 Sjaak Broekmans.............................................................................................................................. 53 Adriaan van den Boogaart................................................................................................................. 55 Jac van Poppel ................................................................................................................................. 56 A. Corporaal.................................................................................................................................... 58 Paul van Poppel................................................................................................................................ 60 References.....................................................................................................................................63 List of Tables Table 1 Some characteristics of the hydroecological regions in the Netherlands.................................... 25 Table 2 Early functions of water in the Netherlands ............................................................................ 11 Table 3 Design characteristics of a self-governing water management organization .............................. 19 Table 4 Some economic effects of land consolidation ......................................................................... 21 Table 5 Main soil groups used for yield reduction calculations ............................................................ 23 Table 6 Groundwater classification system in the Netherlands ............................................................. 24 Table 7 Effects of land consolidation projects in the Netherlands ......................................................... 25 Table 8 Some trends in the Netherlands over the past century.............................................................. 28 Table 9 Water quality of the Rhine river at the German-Dutch border.................................................. 30 Table 10 Authorities in water management in the Netherlands............................................................. 38 Table 11 Water management roles and responsibilities in the Netherlands............................................ 39 Table 12 Cost allocation and financing of water management in the Netherlands (in millions of 1994 NLG)............................................................................................................................................... 39 List of Figures Figure 1. Schematic Representation of the resources management system............................................ 18 Figure 2 Monthly evaporation and rainfall in the Netherlands ............................................................. 20 v Figure 3 Hydroecological regions in the Netherlands .......................................................................... 24 Figure 4 Relation between surfacewater level maintained in peat polders and yearly land subsidence..... 17 Figure 5 Yield-groundwater depth relations ........................................................................................ 23 Figure 6 Compound benefit-cost ratios for land consolidation projects in the Netherlands ..................... 26 List of Boxes Box 1 Working