An introduction of the Interreg IVB project "Benefit of governance in DROught adaPtation (DROP)".

1. Benefit of governance in DROught adaPtation
(DROP)
An introduction
Joanne Vinke-de Kruijf
Water Authority Regge & Dinkel, July 2013

2. 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)

3. 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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4. 4
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

5. Practice and knowledge partners
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Lead partner

6. 6
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

7. 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

8. 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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9. Project implementation
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Interregional Steering
Group (no meetings)
Transnational
Coordination and
Exchange
7 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 experts
1 partner region visit by regional
stakeholders

10. 10
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

11. www.dropproject.eu
Email: info@dropproject.eu
Twitter: @the_DROPproject
Slideshare: user/TheDROPproject
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