Climate-adaptive Baakse Beek headwater area
The initiators have joined forces to set up a climate project for the Baakse Beek headwater area. The focus is on both urban and rural areas. All the regional functions are considered in an integrated manner. The climate is used as a catalyst for combining regional taskings, future perspectives from the business community, and wishes from local residents into sustainable, integrated plans. The process takes pride of place, the results follow. The emphasis is on creating and capitalising on opportunities, tying in with energy in the area. Parallel to the regional process, quick wins are immediately realised. The climate tasking is primarily incorporated into ongoing projects such as voluntary parcel exchange, the Besselinkschans programme, and the Lichtenvoorde Water System Optimisation project. In the latter, other goals such as expanding the sponge action of the area, recreational activities, and nature are linked to the main water storage tasking.
Main goals
- Developing a working method for climate projects by trial and error;
- Raising climate awareness among organisations, residents, and land owners;
- Gaining insight into the functioning of the area and defining the first viable activities to further climate adaptation of the area;
- Defining the roles of all the actors in the planning area with respect to the climate tasking.
Policy fields
- Climate adaptation, innovation, mitigation, and sustainability;
- Raising awareness, participation, external communication;
- Area development (nature & landscape, agriculture, recreation & tourism, habitation & economic activity, and related water issues);
- Management and maintenance (water, nature, infrastructure, et cetera);
- Other, including circular economy and demographics.
Nature of the process
- Working on the basis of shared ownership and joint responsibility (residents + organisations);
- Acting from the perspective of the wishes, ideas, and future plans (i.e., energy) of the area. Committing individual interests to the public interest;
- Thinking in terms of, and concretising, opportunities rather than acting on the basis of threats;
- Courage and willingness among the parties to look beyond existing borders and their own interests. Taking action where such is feasible;
- Combination of rapid response to disasters and opportunities, and anticipation of long-term goals;
- Encouraging multiple use of space; connecting taskings and interests.
Results
Process
- Well-tried working method for a climate project, whose experience and communication products can also be used in other climate projects.
Raising awareness
Increased awareness among residents, entrepreneurs, and organisations with respect to:
- Climate change (sense of urgency + expertise);
- The functioning and the (un)manipulability of the area;
- Bottlenecks and opportunities from a climate adaptation perspective;
- The effectiveness of measures (in other words, controls to turn).
Contents
- From the Baakse Beek project: several support products such as fact sheets, maps, inspirational resources, possibly a vision or picture of the future for a climate-adaptive headwater area and the associated strategy for its realisation.
- From the Baakse Beek project: giving impetus to closer collaboration between the parties; visible pioneers, and implementation of first measures.
- From the Lichtenvoorde Water System Optimisation project: the realisation of three retention areas and a bypass around Lichtenvoorde will commence in 2017. During extreme precipitation, water from the Visserijbeek, Vragenderbeek, and Weijenborgerbeek brooks will thus be retained in the area for a longer period of time.
Definition of roles
- Coordinating the roles and collaboration between the project partners and, if possible the area regarding the impact of climate change and the required adaptation.
Contact
Richard Trenning
Rijn en IJssel district water board
06 23 46 56 29
r.trenning@wrij.nl