Geography

The Netherlands is a low lying, densely populated country bordering the North Sea. The major part of the country consists of lagoon and delta type areas, originating from the deltas of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt rivers. But to create their country, the Dutch had to fight for centuries against water coming from the North Sea, the rivers, rainfall, or from waves on the lakes during storm surges. The total area of the Netherlands is 41 526 Km² , (Of this area about 18% is wetland) of which about one third is situated below mean sea level, whereas about 60% of the land is protected against flooding.

Population and land use

The population of the Netherland is 17.3 Million as per Population reference Bureau (2019). The Netherlands is a very densely populated country, varying from 190 inhabitants per Km² in the northern part to 915 inhabitants per Km² in the low lying western part. The cities and industrial areas (8%) are mainly located in the western part, whereas the agricultural lands (71%) are spread all over the country. The forests and nature reserves (9%) are located predominantly on the relatively wet soils in the western and northern part and on the sandy soils in the dunes and in the eastern part. Of the total land area (34 000 Km²) about 60% is used for agricultural purposes, 10% is occupied by forest and the remaining 30% is used for human habitation and infrastructure.

Climate and rainfall

The Netherlands have a temperate maritime climate influenced by the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, with cool summers and moderate winters. Daytime temperature varies from 2°C - 6°C in the winter and 17°C - 20°C in the summer. The Netherlands has four seasons: winter (January - March), spring (April - June), summer (July – September) and autumn (October - December). Since the country is small there is little variation in climate from region to region, although the marine influences are less inland. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with a dryer period from April to September. The long-term average annual precipitation is 800 mm.

Food and agriculture

The cultivated area (arable land plus permanent crops) is about 1.06 Mha. Agriculture in The Netherlands has significantly changed during the past decades. For example, the cultivation of a traditional crop like wheat has been reduced due to its low price.  The main food crops are barley, corn, potatoes, sugar beets, and wheat. In the past decennia, there has been a significant increase in greenhouse cultivation and in the number of cows, pigs and chicken raised. At present, The Netherlands is still a large exporter of agricultural products. However, the export products mainly refer to flowers, vegetables and dairy products. Basic food products are largely imported. Modern production techniques realized an enormous advance in agriculture, and mechanization enabled farmers to cultivate significant larger areas with less manual input. Through land consolidation projects, parcel sizes were enlarged, field drainage was improved, and the farm road network modernized. In combination with the use of fertilizers and pesticides, these measures played a significant role in making the agricultural output of The Netherlands one of the highest in the world.

Irrigation and drainage

Water in a river may be made up of melt water, rainfall and/or groundwater. In summer, there is little or no excess rainfall, little melt water and low groundwater levels. So, rivers are low and ‘narrow’. In periods of very high rainfall, much melt water and high groundwater levels, rivers can widen to cover the flood plains, the land adjacent to the river channel. As the flood plain is inundated, the water level in the river and the flow rate do not rise dramatically. No matter how small the Netherlands is, it forms part of four international catchment areas; the Rhine, the Meuse, the Scheldt and the Eems. Please include a few lines on irrigation and drainage here.

Water resources management

Flood control is an important issue for the Netherlands, as due to its low elevation, approximately two thirds of its area is vulnerable to flooding, while the country is densely populated. Natural sand dunes and constructed dikes, dams, and floodgates provide defence against storm surges from the sea. After all, the nature of The Netherlands as a water-logged country is such that it must constantly be protected against flooding from the sea and rivers. The responsibility for Dutch water management is divided between the National Water Authority and the Regional Water Authorities. The coastal zone with its estuaries, and the major rivers, like the Rhine and the Meuse, are part of the control area of the National Water Authority (Rijkswaterstaat), which is one of the agencies of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. All other water is called ‘the regional water system’. This regional water system, is actually controlled by 26 regional water authorities, but they are decreasing in number. Water management includes flood control, water quantity management, and water quality management. Flood control is meant to keep dikes, dams, and dunes in good condition. Water quantity management includes water level management, for which often pumping stations are needed.

Water policies

‘A safe and habitable country with a healthy and sustainable water systems’: this was the aim which Dutch water management had in 1998, the year which marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the Netherlands Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (‘Rijkswaterstaat’). The philosophy of integrated water management (1980s) was developed further in the Third National Policy Document on Water Management (NW3), published in 1989. Integrated water management and the water systems have become key concepts in the water management of the 1990s. NW4 focused on the development of an integrated approach to water systems at various levels, starting close to home and moving gradually outward to the great oceans. The National Policy on Water Management in The Netherlands which recently had been formulated in the Fourth National Policy Document on Water Management. The policies contained in the Fourth National Policy Document on Water Managment encompass the period 1998 – 2006. The National Water Plan 2016 - 2021 takes the policy set out in previous water plans and memoranda further. The outlines of the national water policy, the desired developments, the function and protection of water systems in the Netherlands, the measures and developments required, and the management plans for the catchment areas and areas susceptible to flooding cover these issues.

ICID and National Committee

The Netherlands joined ICID as one of its founder members in 1950 and established the Netherlands National ICID Committee (NETHCID). Prof. Dr. Bart Schultz was the President of ICID from 1999-2002 and was also the recipient of the prestigious 2^nd World Irrigation and Drainage Prize at 2^nd World Irrigation Forum held at Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2016. The seven past ICID Vice Presidents from the Netherlands were: Mr. S.H.A. Begemann (1950-1953); Mr. Frederik Lambertus Van Der Bom (1966-1969); Prof. Ir. A. Volker (1980-1981); Dr. M.G. Bos (1985-1988); Prof. dr. Bart Schultz (1991-1994); Prof. C. Storsbergen (1996-1999) and Prof. Dr. Charlotte de Fraiture (2015-2018). The 15^th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage was held at The Hague, Netherlands during 04-11 September 1993. The 1^st and 25^th European Regional Conferences were held at Utrecht and Groningen, The Netherlands in 1969 and 2011, respectively. The 1^st and 9^th International Drainage Workshops were held at Wageningen and Utrecht, The Netherlands in May 1978 and September 2003, respectively. Presently Prof. Dr. Charlotte de Fraiture is the Chairperson of NETHCID and can be contacted at c.defraiture@unesco-ihe.org and/or secretariat.nethcid@wur.nl