World Water Day 1999: Promising developments

Dutch can influence Meuse river improvements

Promising developments in Southern Africa

Because of the very nature of the resource, water-related problems in Southern Africa have an important regional dimension. National governments may play a decisive role in solving these problems. But improved regional co-operation based on shared objectives will prove crucial if the challenge of absolute water scarcity in the region and recurring floods and droughts are to be addressed successfully. Recent years have seen many promising initiatives and developments in Southern Africa, at local, national and regional scales. During the SADC-EU conference on Management of Shared River Basins, in Maseru, May 1997, strong recommendations were made for regional capacity building and the associated leveling of the playing field. This implies that less well-endowed riparians need to be strengthened to improve their negotiating position and hence enhance opportunities for agreements to be reached.

Dutch can influence Meuse river improvements

To fight the floodings of the river Meuse, which caused a lot of damage in 1993 and 1995, the Dutch authorities in the South of the Netherlands have recently tabled four proposals for consideration by the population of 42 municipalities along 220 kilometres of this European river. For all plans environmental impact studies have been made. The consultation takes place through 12 discussion evenings, and multi-media public information kiosks in 37 town halls. For the first time, people can also voice their opinion about the alternatives through a special Internet web site.

The river Meuse is a rain-fed river, which flows from France through Belgium, and ends in the Netherlands in the North Sea. All these countries have suffered in recent years from floods through a combination of heavy rains and human interference in the river basin, and they are taking costly action to improve the situation. In the Netherlands, the most likely improvement plan to be accepted is a combination of deepening the river and creating four retention basins, which will increase the flow capacity of the river. The plans also include measures to improve navigability of the river, as well as allowing wetlands and nature areas to develop. Costs of this alternative are close to one billion dollars.

Based on the outcome of the consultation the ministries involved will later this year put forward their proposal in the cabinet, which is expected to take its final decision in 2000.