STAYING ON TRACK IN CLIMATE- PROOFING THE NETHERLANDS 2021 Delta Programme 2021 Staying on track in climate- proofing the Netherlands Including: Delta Plan on Flood Risk Management Delta Plan on Freshwater Supply Delta Plan on Spatial Adaptation Cover photo: Grave weir and sluice complex, July 2020 Delta Programme 2021 | 3 Contents Cabinet response to the recommendations of the Delta Programme Commissioner 6 Cover letter and recommendations of the Delta Programme Commissioner 10 1 Administrative introduction: Delta Programme 2021 outlined 14 2 Six-year review 22 2.1 Results outlined 23 2.2 Further development of Preferential Strategies and connection with national transitions 26 2.3 Participation in the Delta Programme 28 2.4 Agenda for the next six years 28 3 Flood risk management 32 3.1 Proposed amendments to the Delta Decision on Flood Risk Management and Decision on Sand 33 3.2 Explanatory notes to the review 35 3.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 35 3.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 36 3.5 Delta Plan on Flood Risk Management 37 3.5.1 Implementation programmes 38 3.5.2 River widening in interconnection with dyke improvement 50 3.5.3 State Flood Defences Programme 51 4 Freshwater supply 52 4.1 Proposed amendments to the Delta Decision on Freshwater Supply and the National Freshwater Supply Strategy 53 4.2 Explanatory notes to the review 58 4.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 59 4.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 61 4.5 Delta Plan on Freshwater Supply 62 5 Spatial adaptation 68 5.1 Proposed amendments to the Delta Decision on Spatial Adaptation 69 5.2 Explanatory notes to the review 70 5.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 74 5.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 75 5.5 Delta Plan on Spatial Adaptation 76 5.5.1 Mapping out vulnerabilities 76 5.5.2 Conducting risk dialogues and drawing up strategies 77 5.5.3 Drawing up implementation agendas 78 5.5.4 Capitalising on linkage opportunities 78 5.5.5 Promotion and facilitation 79 5.5.6 Regulating and embedding 81 5.5.7 Responding to calamities 81 6 Regions 84 6.1 Introduction 85 6.2 IJsselmeer Region 86 6.2.1 Proposed amendments to the Delta Decision and Preferential Strategy for the IJsselmeer Region 86 4 | Delta Programme 2021 6.2.2 Explanatory notes to the review 87 6.2.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 89 6.2.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 90 6.3 Rhine Estuary-Drechtsteden Region/West-Netherlands Freshwater Supply Region 91 6.3.1 Proposed amendments to the Delta Decision on the Rhine-Meuse Delta and the Preferential Strategy for the Rhine Estuary-Drechtsteden Region 91 6.3.2 Explanatory notes to the review 93 6.3.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 95 6.3.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 96 6.4 Rhine and Meuse 97 6.4.1 Building blocks for the Preferential Strategy for the River Rhine 98 6.4.2 Building blocks for the Preferential Strategy for the River Meuse 99 6.4.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 99 6.4.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 102 6.5 Southwest Delta 104 6.5.1 Proposed amendments to the Preferential Strategy for the Southwest Delta 104 6.5.2 Explanatory notes to the review 107 6.5.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 108 6.5.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 108 6.6 The Coast 109 6.6.1 Proposed amendments to the Preferential Strategy for the Coast 109 6.6.2 Explanatory notes to the review 109 6.6.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 111 6.6.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 111 6.7 Wadden Region 113 6.7.1 Proposed amendments to the Preferential Strategy for the Wadden Region 113 6.7.2 Explanatory notes to the review 113 6.7.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 114 6.7.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 114 6.8 Elevated Sandy Soils 115 6.8.1 Proposed amendments to the Preferential Strategy for the Elevated Sandy Soils 115 6.8.2 Explanatory notes to the review 117 6.8.3 Looking back: the milestones of the past six years 117 6.8.4 Agenda for the six years ahead 118 7 Delta Fund 120 7.1 Developments in the Delta Fund 121 7.2 Resources from other partners 123 7.3 Review of the financial tasking 126 7.3.1 Methodology 126 7.3.2 Points of departure 126 7.3.3 Findings of the Delta Programme cost estimates review 126 7.3.4 Differences with Delta Programme 2016 cost estimates 128 7.4 The financial security of the Delta Programme 128 8 International collaboration and expertise, the private sector, and innovation 130 8.1 International collaboration 131 8.2 Expertise, private sector, and innovation 133 List of Background Documents and maps 136 List of Background Documents and maps 137 Colophon 138 Delta Programme 2021 | 5 Cabinet response to > Return address: Postbox 20901, NL 2500 EX The Hague To the Chairpersons of the Ministry of Infrastructure the and Water Management Houses of the States General Binnenhof 4 Rijnstraat 8 2513 AA THE HAGUE 2515 XP The Hague Postbox 20901 2500 EX The Hague T 070-456 0000 recommendationsF 070-456 1111of Our reference IENW/BSK-2020/91211 Annex (es) 1 Date 15 September 2020 theSubject Delta Cabinet response to Delta Programme Programme 2021 Dear Mr and Madam Chairperson, CommissionerIt is my pleasure to present to you the Delta Programme 2021 (DP 2021). The Delta Programme is the annual proposal developed by the Delta Programme Commissioner concerning the fields of flood risk management and freshwater supply, which – as stipulated in Article 4.10 Paragraph 1 of the Water Act – is presented to you once a year. DP2021 has been developed in close collaboration between the national government, the municipalities, the district water boards, the provinces, NGOs, and the business community; it is widely supported by all the parties concerned. In the light of the current situation with the COVID-19 virus, this is a particularly great achievement, for which I would like to express my appreciation to the Delta Programme Commissioner and all the other parties involved. With DP2021, the Delta Programme is entering a new phase. DP2021 features the outcomes of the first six-year review of the Delta Decisions and regional Preferential Strategies that were set down in 2015. Knowledge on climate change is growing, and the effects of measures are increasingly manifest. Yet at the same time, reality is continuously changing, and new insights develop. With this review, the course pursued by DP2021 has been adjusted where necessary, in order to enable us to keep flood risk management, freshwater availability, and spatial planning in the Netherlands sustainable and resilient in the long run, and to continue to accommodate the (increasing) climate extremes. In his cover letter to Delta Programme 2021, the Delta Programme Commissioner has included the following three appeals and recommendations, based on the review of the Delta Decisions, strategies, and measures: 1. An appeal to the managing authorities of flood defence systems and to other parties involved to ensure that flood protection will be up to par by 2050. In addition, a request to take full account of cyber resilience in their efforts; 2. An appeal to both the national and the regional parties (including the private sector) to intensify their pursuit of the climate resilience of vital and vulnerable functions; Pagina 1 van 4 6 | Delta Programme 2021 3. An appeal to politicians to ensure that COVID-19 will not stagnate the work on Ministry of Infrastructure the Delta Programme taskings, which are of existential importance for the and Water Management Netherlands. In line with this appeal, he strongly advises against the option of delaying the implementation of the Flood Protection Programme, as proposed Our reference IENW/BSK-2020/91211 by the administrative Broad Social Review working group (Ready for Climate Change), in view of the changing climatological conditions. Furthermore, the Delta Programme Commissioner urges that the proposals regarding the intensification of climate adaptation and enhancing the resilience of the freshwater supply should be adopted, to a significant extent, in the coalition agreement of the next Cabinet. In this respect, he points out that especially in times like these, (anticyclic) investments in the existential safety, liveability, and climate adaptation of our country can bolster economic recovery and sustainable economic growth in the years ahead. Cabinet response Below, as stipulated by Article 4.9, paragraph 7 of the Water Act, I will indicate how the Cabinet intends to accommodate the Delta Programme Commissioner’s recommendations. 1. Flood risk management to be up to par by 2050 One of the goals of flood risk management policy is that by no later than 2050, every resident of the Netherlands living behind primary flood defences must be assured of a minimum protection level of 10-5, i.e., the probability of fatality due to flooding does not exceed 1:100,000 per annum. To ensure that all the primary flood defences meet this standard by 2050, current insights dictate the completion of an average of approx. 50 kilometres of dyke improvements per annum, between now and 2050. For the period 2021-2032, the Flood Protection Programme has scheduled the improvement of 698 kilometres of dykes and 171 engineering structures.