River basin management Rhine river basin Mark Wiering
River basin management Rhine river basin Mark Wiering Political Sciences of the Environment (Faculty of Management Sciences)
River Rhine
The River Rhine § § § Rhein (in Germany ) Rijn (in Dutch) Waal –Nederrijn –Ijssel France ; Rhin Suisse: Rein, Rhy and Rhing (re/ ri = to flow)
Rhine § Springs at the Suisse Alps § Important tributaries: Moselle river (left) and right: Neckar, Main, Lahn, Sieg, Ruhr, Lippe § 1320 km (fourth river of Europe, after Volga, Danube, Dnieper) § Waterway, river ecosystem, also border between countries – Suisse and Austria; Suisse and Germany, France and Germany (sometimes at war)
International Co-operation for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) § Problems: § Chemical pollution – From industries – From agriculture § Salination (salt), (French salt mines) § Temperature of the Rhine (also climate change!) § General ecology of the Rhine ecosystem § (later Flooding issues)
Development of the Rhine regime Five turning points (Dieperink, 1998): – 1949: first informal consultative body for Rhine river basin (initiative of Netherlands and Suisse) – Treaty of Bern (1963): formalising co-operation – Ministerial Conference riparian states Rhine (1972) – 1976: The Rhine Treaties on chloride and chemical pollution – 1986 : Rhine Action Program/ new Treaty on the protection of the Rhine
Characteristics of the regime § Generally viewed as succesful co-operation. Why? § From bilateral conflicts to the river basin as a whole: increases ‘problem symmetry’ § Increasing knowledge of river basin, ecology, creating epistemic community, professionalisation of involved parties § Increasing homogeneity of societal values
Characteristics of the regime part 2 § Options for trade offs in negotiation § A downstream state (NL) that is active and alert, and that has ‘something to offer’ – Financial compensation, or otherwise compensation § Safe platform for knowlegde exchange and political negotiation § Comprehensive regime: all of the basin, and different topics discussed.
What is River basin Management? § Three ambitions § 1. Integrating elements of the water system § Water quality- water quantity § Flooding and drought § Ground water – Surface water § Water chain management § = Internal integration
What is River basin Management? 2. water management and other policy fields § § Water management and land use Water management and recreation Water management and housing Water management and nature, etc. Policy fields: Spatial planning; agriculture; housing; nature conservation § = External integration
What is River basin Management? 3. Cross border water management - geographical borders - administrative borders (regions, administrations) “rivers are not impressed by geographical boundaries” But “Administrations do not always care much about rivers” § =cross border integration
RBM and institutions § RBM = a policy concept (the three ambitions; part of new discourse) § RBM = new ‘rules of the game’ § RBM = new policy organisations”? § RBM = new policy resources?
Reasons for Rivercross § Why co-operation in water management? § Safety issues/ Flooding management/ Risk Management § Water quality issues and Hydromorphology in River Basin Management § [Water Framework Directive] § [Flooding Management Directive? ] § Nature conservation/ Landscape/Spatial Planning/Tourism?
Partners in Rivercross (2) Netherlands-Germany: • Water quality (Twente) • River restoration (UDE) • Flooding (Nijmegen)
Objectives of Rivercross § To investigate success and failure of regional cross-border co-operation throughout Europe § To improve scientific knowledge on the determinants of successful cross-border cooperation § To formulate policy advice on how to improve cross-border river basin management § To exchange experiences in cross-border river basin management and to build networks of water managers
Analysis using the policy arrangements approach (2) § Actors § Interests of these actors (both water related as well as other interests) § Resources of these actors (money, knowledge, manpower etc) § Legislation § Political culture (policy styles, organisational styles) § Discourse (policy concepts used)
Regional cross-border co-operation in the river Rhine An example
Gelderland-North Rhine Westphalia border area River Rhine Dutch. German crossborder area
New initiatives after flood threats of 1995 § International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine installs Working Group on Flooding § Regional Dutch-German Working Group on High Water
Working Group High Water Dutch participants § Province Gelderland § Rijkswaterstaat Eastern Netherlands § Waterschap Rivierenland § Union of Dutch River Municipalities § RIZA German participants § Dep. Environment NRW § District Düsseldorf § LUA NRW § St. UA Krefeld § Kreis Cleves § Union of Deichverbände
Activities of the Working Group § Joint research – Effects of extremely high water on Lower Rhine – Cross-border coordination of measures to reduce flood risks – Risk analysis of cross-border dike rings at the Lower Rhine § Communication – Regular meetings – Magazine – Two yearly conference § Joint projects – Might be started in the future
Extent of co-operation in the Working Group § Extent of co-operation in the Working Group – Difficult to judge effects on flood protection – Considerable output (research, communication) – Participant’s opinion: high levels of satisfaction § Possibilities for improvement – No focus on related issues yet (e. g. disaster management) – No joint projects yet
Helpful regarding the Dutch policy arrangement § Positive: – Dutch organisations share the water system with their upstream neighbours from North Rhine Westphalia and depend on the organisations from North Rhine Westphalia – Large availability of resources especially money and manpower – German knowledge is made available for Dutch organisations – Cross-border co-operation has always been an important theme in the Netherlands
Helpful regarding the NRW Policy Arrangement § Positive: – The organisations in North Rhine Westphalia are dependent on the organisations in upstream German states and stress a discourse of solidarity between upstream and downstream neighbours – Cooperation with the Dutch also makes it possible for them to strengthen their position by using Dutch resources (especially knowledge, but also money and manpower)
the NRW Policy Arrangement (2) § Problematic: – There is no representative from the Federal Navigation Authority – Low availability of resources especially money and manpower
Differences and similarities between Policy Arrangements § Positive: – Similar policy styles in both countries – Large similarities between the national discourses (‘Space for the River‘) § Problematic – Large differences between legal frameworks (e. g. expropriation is much more difficult in Germany)
characteristics of the initative itself (Working Group) § Positive: – All organisations have a regional background – Low involvement of politicians – Preference to discuss technical topics – Informal meeting habits during co-operation § Problematic: – Low involvement of politicians – In formal legal status / restricted mandate
Fazit § Co-operation is easier when differences between the countries involved are not too big (similar arrangements) § Start with low profile co-operation – Low level of engagement of politicians – Priority for technical topics § Stress shared interests – Try to contact organisations with a similar regional background – Make knowledge, money and other resources available for organisations in the other country § Carefully create a discourse that stresses the importance of cross-border co-operation
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