National Climate Adaptation Strategy (NAS)

Climate change is impacting us more rapidly and more severely than had been expected. It is therefore important to adapt to the changing climate. The National Climate Adaptation Strategy (NAS) sets the course for climate-proofing the Netherlands. The first version of the NAS was published in 2016 (NAS'16), and the new Strategy will be published in 2026 (NAS'26).

NAS’16 and evaluation

The 2016 National Climate Adaptation Strategy (pdf, 14 MB) constituted the Dutch response to the appeal of the European Commission to all member states to draw up a climate adaptation strategy by no later than 2017. In 2022, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management commissioned an assessment (in Dutch)of the Strategy. This assessment produced recommendations for expediting the Strategy's implementation, by defining more concrete goals, by increased monitoring, by setting down more specific agreements, and also by focusing more attention on how climate change is affecting people, culture and nature.

The 2023 National Adaptation Plan (NAP'23): faster, smarter and more inclusive

In 2023, the National Adaptation Plan (in Dutch) was published, to step up the implementation of the National Climate Adaptatie Strategy. The NAP'23 has been summarised in a visual image (png, 713 kB). The programme sets out the strategy for the years ahead and the additional measures required to step up the efforts. Some examples:

  • In every development, the Netherlands must automatically factor in sea level rise, increasing heat, prolonged periods of drought and more extreme precipitation.
  • The policy to climate-proof the Netherlands in good time must become more efficient, more intensive and more inclusive.
  • Transparent and concrete goals are essential to develop policy and be able to take measures.

Towards the NAS'26

Since January 2024, many people have been working hard on the NAS’26. Important building blocks for the new version are the NAP’23 (in Dutch), the KNMI climate scenarios (2023 - in Dutch), and the reviews of the climate risks by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (2024 and 2026 - in Dutch). The NAS is a national strategy. It involves the collaboration of a large number of ministries: Infrastructure and Water Management; Housing and Spatial Planning; Climate Policy and Green Growth; Economic Affairs; Justice and Security; Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature; Education, Culture and Science; Social Affairs and Employment; Health, Welfare and Sport. Other parties involved include research institutes and the umbrella organisations: the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), the Association of Provincial Authorities (IPO) and Dutch Water Authorities (UvW). Several meetings are being held to assess and fine-tune interim concepts.

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