Climate stress test light, Municipality of Nieuwegein

Results

The stress test showed that (districts in) this municipality are more or less vulnerable for all four aspects of climate change (coastal/river flooding, pluvial flooding, drought, and heat). There are many ideas and opportunities for the implementation of climate-adaptive measures. These opportunities arise by linking climate adaptation to other policy themes and implementation programmes and projects. This requires broadening the scope from a sectoral and technical approach to an approach that focuses on bottlenecks and opportunities. Potential links with current and future developments include:

• Temporary (and permanently after 2030) design of Galecopperzoom district
• Better Neighbourhoods (Betere Buurten) project
• ’t Klooster business park
• Ecological connecting zone along the Lek Canal
• Development of the city centre area
• Herenstraat area
• Rijnhuizen area
• Overeind (fort)
• Blokhoeve district West and East

Climate adaptation is a matter not only for the government. Its impact on social life concerns all residents and businesses. And measures will not be implemented by the government alone; residents and the private sector, too, will do their part. To achieve this, an ambition level – “dot on the horizon” – and an implementation strategy will need to be developed together with the stakeholders.

The next step is to follow the recommendations on three tracks:

• Give impetus to implementation, focus on “low-hanging fruit”. Concrete results motivate. This could involve addressing current bottlenecks, such as the locations vulnerable to pluvial flooding, or a combination with current projects, such as the Better Neighbourhoods Project (Project Betere Buurten), development of the City Centre area, the Rijnhuizen and Blokhoeve districts. Provide insight into linkage with other investment programmes, such as those for the maintenance of roads and green vegetation, and the expanded municipal sewerage plan. This is also financially attractive. It requires the implementing organisation to see the opportunities present and to be able to capitalise on them in a flexible manner.
• Increase insight into the risks of pile rot and the susceptibility to ground subsidence. Together with the Security Region and the HDSR water authority, map out the vital and vulnerable infrastructure, and develop a contingency plan, including (risk) communication and a recovery strategy. In a similar way, map out the groups and locations that are vulnerable to heat stress together with the municipal health service (GGD).
• Initiate a process focused on a shared climate-proofing ambition and implementation strategy, including a communication/participation strategy. An ambition based on (socially) shared values rather than standards.
• Involve the stakeholders in this process, such as the HDSR water authority, Natuurmonumenten, the Municipal Health Service (GGD), housing corporations, the Utrecht Security Region, business associations, and residents’ initiatives. Join the Plan of Approach of the regional partnership for climate adaptation, the Coalitie regio Utrecht.

Contact person

Laurens van Miltenburg
Municipality of Nieuwegein
+31(0)30 60 71 461
L.vanmiltenburg@Nieuwegein.nl