The regional water authority Waterschap Aa en Maas is continuously working on improving its water systems both for making it more resilient to climate change in terms of water quantity management and at the same time works on improving of the water quality and ecological values in line with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive. There is a large and diverse group of stakeholders related to this integrated water management and with limited space available there is a clear need to see beyond single measures to a wider catchment perspective of linking individual measures into overarching strategies, that take into account both the need to retain and provide water to end-users and at the same time improve the water quality and ecological status.
There is a high interest from the case owner, the regional water authority Aa and Maas, to further upscale visioning of sponge strategies in co-design with local stakeholders, including provincial government, other regional water authorities in the region, WWF-NL and local landowners / farmers organisations.