The implementation of the Water Framework's River Basin Approach in the Netherlands, an example of Good Multilevel Water Governance?

Abstract

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) was set up by the European Commission in 2000 to provide an integrated framework for water governance, directing that all water bodies should be in ‘good’ condition, referring to chemical, ecological, and nutrient conditions. Recent studies show that the chances that all waters in the Netherlands will reach good status before 2027 are minimal. A gap existed in the literature on the degree of success of the approach used to implement the WFD’s River Basin Approach in the Netherlands. The aim of this research was to get an insight into the multilevel interactions and coordination mechanisms for the WFD at a basin level in the Netherlands. An assessment framework of success factors was created and through interviews in combination with a document analysis, the prevalence of these factors in the Dutch Rhine West sub-river basin was analysed. It was found that while knowledge capacity and financial means were present, other factors important for the WFD realisation were missing. Especially political commitment, coordination, and integration were found to be missing. Therefore, it was concluded that the River Basin Approach in Rhine West cannot be seen as an example of good Multilevel Water Governance, generalising these conclusions to the national level would require further research. To overcome the limited political commitment, integration, and coordination this research suggests raising more awareness for the topic through campaigns and lobbying, further emphasising side benefits of improved water quality, redistributing more resources to the sub-basin, and appointing a project owner for issues that need to be addressed.