News item | 03-04-2025 | 10:15
Rivers are important for the Netherlands: they drain too much water, they are economically important as a waterway for ships, they are a nice living environment for animals, plants and people, they ensure that crops and nature can grow and sometimes drinking water is extracted. Today a plan is being launched that must ensure that this will continue to happen in the future.
This plan takes shape in the Room for the River 2.0 program. The program was created in collaboration between rich and region. The parties are the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning, Water Boards, Provinces, Municipalities and the Delta Commissioner.
Minister Barry Madlener (Infrastructure and Water Management): “Room for the River 2.0 is a fantastic plan, we keep the Netherlands safer with this than ever. At the same time we ensure that the rivers remain navigable in drier periods and that we can better distribute and use the fresh water at that time.”
Nuisance due to changing weather
The river area stands for several challenges. For example, there is more water to drain, which is caused by more intense rain showers (both in the Netherlands and abroad) or by faster melting glaciers. The Netherlands must also be protected against floods during those periods.
At the same time, it also happens that there is no rain for a while, so there is less water in the rivers. The consequence of this is, for example, that shipping can no longer sail well or that areas with nature and agriculture dry out.
Tackle tasks as many as possible in one go
With the Room for the River 2.0 program, challenges in the field of water drainage, navigability, drying out of agriculture and nature, water quality, freshwater distribution, drinking water supply and recreation. The cooperating parties have agreed to set up the river area differently in the coming decades.
Returning the river area costs space. Choices must be made in 2026. These are choices about where extra space for the river is created and about how to wear the wear of the river bottom.