Germany and the Netherlands strengthen cooperation on sharing precious water resources

Excess water and flooding were very high on the political agenda following the floods that impacted much of northern and central Europe in 2021, during the winter of 2023-2024 and more recently. However, climate change does not only give rise to excess water. Water shortages and drought are now becoming more common throughout the European Union.

The Netherlands and Germany have recently launched the Drought Strategies in Water Management ‘DIWA’ project which fosters the development and implementation of a cross-border approach to managing drought and sharing scarce water resources. Dutch and German partners are now cooperating intensively on this. An important objective of this project, considered to be an Operation of Strategic Importance (OSI), is to improve coordination between public authorities and area managers, as well as knowledge exchange and learning of best practices across borders.

Drought, as has been experienced in both the Netherlands and Germany over the last five years, is a new phenomenon that requires the active involvement of both Member States. Combatting drought requires cooperation on the scale of (cross-border) basins and water storage areas - areas in which groundwater levels play a significant role. Due to its complexity, drought prevention and mitigation require both a cross-border and cross-sectoral approach.

DIWA aims to repair broken links and connections between different sectors and geographic areas spanning the Dutch German cross-border region. It also aims to optimise governance with a view to combating drought more effectively. DIWA seeks to expand the automatization of discharge and groundwater measurements in order to improve their ‘prediction toolbox’ as they embark upon sustainable groundwater management. The OSI will also undertake area specific mapping with a view to assessing drought risks and evaluating the impact of remedial measures. A synthesis of all results and experiences will be compiled in the form of a digital guideline for water and area managers in other (border) regions to enable them to more effectively mitigate the impact of drought in the future.

With the impact of climate change widely recognized across the European Union, it is clear that cross-border cooperation in the field of drought control is of strategic importance at European level.

More information on DIWA can be found here.