Towards an effective protection of groundwater resources: putting policy into practice with the drinking water protection file

Brink, Cors van den; Wuijts, Susanne

doi:10.2166/wp.2015.197

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The results of our case study and data from a national review of the DWPFs (Wuijts et al 2014, Van den Brink andWuijts, 2016) have been used to analyse our theoretical proposition, that to address water quality issues effectively, a governance approach should be linked up with the water system characteristics, the drivers of water quality issues and with the authorities which have the means to adopt adequate measures and monitor the progress of said measures. So, in terms of the analytical framework (see Fig.…”

Section: Discussion On Case Study Results: Governance Conditions For mentioning

confidence: 99%

Governance Conditions for Improving Quality Drinking Water Resources: the Need for Enhancing Connectivity

Wuijts

Driessen

Rijswick

2017

Water Resour Manage

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Realising the water quality objectives of the European Water Framework Directive have appeared to stagnate over the last decade all across Europe because of their highly complex nature. In literature, governance approaches tend to be regarded as the best way of dealing with complex water issues, but so far little empirical evidence has been reported on this perspective in regard to water quality issues and thus identifying relevant interventions for both policy makers and other stakeholders. In this paper we have analysed how conditions of governance contribute to the realisation of water quality objectives at different types of drinking water resources in the Netherlands. The water quality challenges at these resources, nitrates, pesticides, industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals, can be recognized in other European countries as well. The analysis demonstrates the importance to enhance connectivity between institutional levels and upstream regions based upon the characteristics of the water system and driving forces for water quality and thus involve the actors that have the authority and the means to take effective measures. The two other important conditions of governance approaches for water quality improvement which were identified are the use of joint factfinding to gain a shared perception of risks, and the use of explicit decision-making and close monitoring of outcomes (re. water quality improvement).

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Section: Discussion On Case Study Results: Governance Conditions For mentioning

confidence: 99%

Governance Conditions for Improving Quality Drinking Water Resources: the Need for Enhancing Connectivity

Wuijts

Driessen

Rijswick

2017

Water Resour Manage

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“…The Protection File is part of the Dutch national WFD implementation strategy, intended to improve the protection level of groundwater resources. It consists of a national top-down framework and a regional bottom-up process, which, respectively, enforces commitment and enhances stakeholder awareness regarding risks and actions needed regarding the identification and implementation of measures enhancing the protection level of groundwater resources RBD [66]. One of the measures to be implemented is focused on reduction of the nitrate leaching towards groundwater in the recharge areas of vulnerable abstraction sites in Overijssel.…”

Section: Appendix A24 Present Governance Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America

et al. 2018

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Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture (DWPA) and its governance has received increased attention as a policy concern across the globe. Mitigation of DWPA is a complex problem that requires a mix of policy instruments and a multi-agency, broad societal response. In this paper, opportunities and barriers for developing co-governance, defined as collaborative societal involvement in the functions of government, and its suitability for mitigation of DWPA are reviewed using seven case studies in Europe (Poland, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands and UK), Australia (Murray-Darling Basin) and North America (State of Minnesota). An analytical framework for assessing opportunities and barriers of co-governance was developed and applied in this review. Results indicated that five key issues constitute both opportunities and barriers, and include: (i) pressure for change; (ii) connected governance structures and allocation of resources and funding; (iii) leadership and establishment of partnerships through capacity building; (iv) use and co-production of knowledge; and (v) time commitment to develop water co-governance.

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“…All groundwater abstractions show hardness of the water has increased due to manure application in the past. In individual abstraction wells, the nitrate standard is exceeded in Herikerberg/Goor, Wierden and Archemerberg [5]. Nickel concentration in Hoge Hexel exceeds the standard of 15 µg/L due to pyrite oxidation from nitrate-containing groundwater [5].…”

Section: Overijsselmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of the Drinking Water Protection Files (DWPF) has helped combining risk analysis and expert science with local knowledge and societal values as an instrument in the governance of Drinking Water Protection Areas (DWPA) in the Netherlands [5]. The compilation of the DWPF is a process-oriented approach in which a risk analysis is carried out for each individual drinking water abstraction with local and regional stakeholders, in order to meet the WFD objectives [10].…”

Section: Groundwater Governance As a Complex Environmental Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effectiveness of Voluntary Measures to Reduce Agricultural Impact on Groundwater as a Source for Drinking Water: Lessons Learned from Cases in the Dutch Provinces Overijssel and Noord-Brabant

Brink

Hoogendoorn

Verloop

et al. 2021

Water

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Agricultural practices cause diffuse water pollution issues, which is a policy concern across the globe. This paper addresses the reduction in agricultural impact on groundwater as source for drinking water with a governance approach based on a mutual gains approach (MGA) using voluntary measures only. We performed case studies in Overijssel and in Noord-Brabant, both located in the Netherlands, to study the effectiveness of the governance approach on nutrients and pesticides, respectively. The effectiveness was studied by analyzing the engagement process qualitatively and by analyzing the impact of measures at farm scale as quantitative indicators. For nutrients, the effectiveness is expressed in the N-surplus at farm scale and the realization of groundwater quality objectives in groundwater protection areas (GWPA). For pesticides, the effectiveness is expressed in environmental impact points (EIP) at farm scale and the level of groundwater protection areas (GWPA). The results indicate that the engagement process based on voluntariness creates a platform for meaningful engagement, adds to the economics of the farm and reduces the agricultural impact on groundwater quality. However, the nitrate objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) are not met at the level of GWPAs in Overijssel. Due to the voluntariness of the approach, the participation rate relies on the farmers’ expectation of the costs and benefits of the process, and diminishing economic returns prevent the further improvement of efficient nutrient use. Although an enforceable objective and strict deadline for pesticides is missing, the objective has been met at the level of GWPAs using voluntary measures only in Noord-Brabant. An important driver for this effectiveness is the fact that these results can be obtained without incurring economic losses, which may tie into the high participation rate of farmers.

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Towards an effective protection of groundwater resources: putting policy into practice with the drinking water protection file

Cited by 8 publications

References 10 publications

Governance Conditions for Improving Quality Drinking Water Resources: the Need for Enhancing Connectivity

Governance Conditions for Improving Quality Drinking Water Resources: the Need for Enhancing Connectivity

Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America

Effectiveness of Voluntary Measures to Reduce Agricultural Impact on Groundwater as a Source for Drinking Water: Lessons Learned from Cases in the Dutch Provinces Overijssel and Noord-Brabant

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