This report assesses the extent to which Dutch water governance is fit for future challenges and sketches an agenda for the reform of water policies in the Netherlands. It builds on a one-year policy dialogue with over 100 Dutch stakeholders, supported by robust analytical work and drawing on international best practice. The Netherlands is a pioneer country in water management. It is widely known for its track record in reclaiming land from the sea, as well as its world-class engineering, strong water industry, and agricultural performance. But are these assets enough to cope with current and future challenges? Or do these challenges call for different organisational settings? It is the purpose of the OECD-Netherlands water policy dialogue to address this question,by applying a lens to the current state of play in Dutch water management and identifying ways in which the governance framework can be adjusted so that it is "fit for the future". This report on the outcomes of the policy dialogue focuses on the close interconnection between water governance and water security, both now and in the future. It outlines an agenda for future water policies in the Netherlands, which can improve the country's capacity to cope with future trends driven by climate change, economic growth, demographic patterns or innovation.
Capturing information from 27 OECD countries and key partner economies, the report presents key findings from the OECD Survey of Water Resources Allocation and case studies of successful allocation reform.
This report on Water Quality and Agriculture examines the linkages between agriculture and water quality. It discusses the overall trends and outlook for agriculture and water quality in OECD countries; describes recent actions by policy makers to address water quality issues in agriculture; and provides a set of recommendations for countries to meet the challenge of improving agricultural water quality.
This report presents the discussions and conclusions of the OECD workshop on sustainable water consumption. It examines progress made on a range of key water policy issues and examines some of the more innovative attempts to put into practice a wider vision of integration.
This report provides a cross-country review of waste, materials management and circular economy policies in selected OECD countries, drawing on OECD’s Environmental Performance Reviews during the period 2010-17. It presents the main achievements in the countries reviewed, along with common ...
Belgium has made progress in decoupling several environmental pressures from economic growth, in improving wastewater treatment and in expanding protected areas. Regions have achieved high levels of recovery and recycling, and have pioneered circular economy policies. However, further efforts are needed to progress towards carbon neutrality, reduce air and water pollution, reverse biodiversity loss and consolidate results of circular economy initiatives.