Wim Van der Knaap, Wageningen University
Land Use Planning, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Unambiguous risk assessment - the solution for urban water management? (assigned to theme
The Commission for Water management in the 21st century has introduced an instrument to deal with regional flooding risks, resulting in a standardisation of water level risks. This should be in operation in the Netherlands from September 2005 on. This instrument can fulfil a role between environmental management and water related issues. A research has been conducted in the first half of 2004 in which the process was followed and it was especially focussed on the risk assessment for urban water management. As a result from this research a meeting was held for representatives of the municipal and provincial governments as well as the district water boards in October 2004. One of the outcomes was the large difference between the world of water management and of environmental planning, resulting in a bad cooperation between these authorities. Especially the complexity of organisation and administration around urban water management is an important obstacle. This risk assessment approach as a means of communication seems appropriate. But is it also capable of bridging the dilemma’s between water management and environmental planning or does it only accentuate differences? And must the risk assessments be the same for the whole of the Netherlands? Based on the result of the research project and the discussion meeting of October several conclusions will be presented around the issue of risk assessment and urban water management. Some of these conclusions concern: -Each of the governmental organisations has their own directing role, causing problems in communication and loss of quality and agreement. There should be a harmonisation between action level and directing role. -What status must risk assessment result have: an action deal or an outcome deal? because of the iterative process the preference goes to an action deal -Mutual agreement and harmonisation between all stakeholders/partners is important. Especially community councils are not yet prepared for their role in the urban water management, because of possible conflict and uncertain agreement about the link between sewerage and urban water management. -The resulting risk assessment levels have to be incorporated into every day policies, e.g., in the ‘municipal spatial plan’ or as a ‘water level decision’. However, one has to be careful not to hamper new development by institutionalizing the risk assessment level too tight. -Risk assessment can be seen as a drive for integration between water management and environmental planning, especially when regional differences are allowed. -Risk assessment levels are means for communication and not a goal in itself. -For citizens it is important to have a different approach to communicate flooding risks in stead of using the risk assessment level.
 | Conference organized through conf-vienna
(copyright Gunther Maier) |