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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.
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River basin management Rhine river basin Mark Wiering Political Sciences of the Environment (Faculty of Management Sciences)
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-operationfor the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) • Problems: • Chemical pollution • From industries • Fromagriculture • Salination (salt), (Frenchsalt mines) • Temperature of the Rhine (alsoclimatechange!) • General ecology of the Rhineecosystem • (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 regimepart 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 Hydro-morphology 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 co-operation • 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 cross-border 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 • StUA 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