UN Water Envoy exchanges international knowledge

Meike van Ginneken is the Water Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She is also director of the Climate Adaptation and Water International programme directorate (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management).

What does a water envoy do?

‘As water envoy, I am the standard bearer abroad for the Netherlands as a country of water. We share our own knowledge about water. I also speak regularly at international forums, because as the Dutch government we think it is important that water is on the international political agenda.'

'We deploy our water knowledge as ‘soft power’. As water envoy, I work across government, so I help coordinate the approach of different ministries to our Dutch International Water Ambition.’

How does this exchange of knowledge work?

‘I speak regularly at international conferences, for example at the World Bank. A visit to a country is very targeted. An example is the trip I made to India. There I learnt how India is handling water management in the Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers. This is knowledge that can help us in our management of the Rhine.'

'Sometimes I go along on trade missions, such as to Canada. Or I help an embassy shape their water programme, for example in Iraq. Universal problems with water can be a starting point for collaboration. Even in countries with which the Netherlands has a strained relationship, water proves to be a good starting point for building better ties.’

What do you feel is the place of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in environmental impact assessments?

‘The EIA legislation and the EIA Commission must safeguard the SDGs. This goes beyond the right to clean water. Hunger, poverty, climate and living environment are also linked to water. I worked on EIAs a lot when I was at the World Bank.'

'Personally, I feel the social side of impact reporting, a social EIA, if you like, is very important. Paying attention to the social environment is particularly significant if the local population is not well protected.’

How do you establish links with other countries?

‘Success does not come from flying from one conference to another to tell your story. It’s about working together for local and national action between those conferences. So that farmers take additional water steps at a local level, or so that better collaboration takes place on cross-border rivers.'

'You reach those agreements at conferences, but the milestones come from organisations that work in the country itself.’

What is the role of water in climate adaptation?

‘Water can be the driver for climate adaptation. Think of natural water buffers to cope with a surplus or as a reservoir in times of scarcity. Climate change can involve both less or more water. We need to be conscious of the fact that activities can no longer take place everywhere.'

'In the Netherlands, we have made water and soil a key element in our spatial planning. But crisis management is also vital. Because there is no such thing as zero risk.’

How do you view the rise of water and soil as a key element?

‘What is interesting is that water and soil are becoming key elements not only for us, but also in other countries. Climate change and the growing population are making it clear that not everything can be fixed. In terms of solutions, an area is increasingly viewed in its entirety. A strategic EIA or area plans help to plan that effectively.’

What important developments are you seeing in the Netherlands?

‘For 800 years, we fought the water. The biggest development is that we are now moving towards living with the water and with nature. We are thereby abandoning the approach of draining water into the sea as quickly as possible. We are storing water for drier periods.’

What do you find a striking project?

‘In Cartagena in Colombia, the Dutch government is supporting the Water-as-Leverage project. Water is being used as a lever here to work with local residents to plan a climate-resilient and liveable city, including safe coastal defences and restoration of the lagoon. It’s a great starting point.’

How can planning and EIAs be made even better?

‘In my experience, an EIA needs more follow-up. We need to monitor the mitigation of environmental and social effects. Experience shows that approved plans are not fully implemented everywhere. This is something you overcome with monitoring, which can also result in potential adjustments in the approach.’