ID: 1613
Presenting Author: Véronique Maronier
Session: 529 - Strategic, Not Generic: The Next Generation of Regional Assessments
Status: pending
Discover how the SEA for the Integrated River Management Program in the Netherlands uses clear alternatives and concrete recommendations to address climate uncertainty and deliver real impact.
The SEA for the Integrated River Management Program (IRM) in the Netherlands provides a concrete example of a strategic, area-based impact assessment under increasing climate uncertainty. Focused on the country’s main rivers—such as the Rhine, Meuse, and Waal—the IRM responds to the rise in both extreme high and low river water levels caused by climate change. Targeted choices are essential for water safety, freshwater supply, nature, navigability, and spatial quality. Instead of broad or overloaded analyses, IRM works with three clear alternatives: a focus on low water, high water, or both. Effects are described qualitatively, with explicit attention to cumulative effects and uncertainties. The approach provides an assessment framework that allows for optimization and mitigation in later stages.
The SEA emphasizes the importance of flexibility: continue to optimize, monitor, and mitigate risks. Crucially, recommendations from the SEA should not remain abstract but must be made concrete and actually incorporated into the program.
Véronique Maronier is an IA consultant with 20 years’ experience, working on strategic and concrete projects across diverse themes, with a strong focus on water-related issues.