Water & Soil as a Guiding Principle - Actor Tool

We intend to optimally adapt the Netherlands to the changing climate. To this end, it is essential to award water and soil a more directive role in policy and implementation. This can best be achieved through area-based collaboration with various government bodies and other stakeholders. The Inter-Ministerial Environment Programme is a very appropriate instrument in this respect. To set up such a programme, it is important to gain insight into the responsibilities of the respective government authorities in the field of water and soil, and into the tasks involved in such responsibilities. The Water & Soil as a Guiding Principle - Actor Tool provides an overview of these matters.

For whom?

The Water & Soil as a Guiding Principle - Actor Tool is intended for municipalities, district water boards and provinces that wish to join forces in order to award water and soil a more directive role in policy and implementation.

How can the tool be used?

The Actor Tool shows the responsibilities of each government authority in the field of water and soil, and which tasks are involved in these responsibilities. This is presented in an interactive table covering seven themes: surface water, groundwater, rainwater, drinking water, sewer systems and sewage purification, soil and subsoil, and flora and fauna. The tool can be quite useful for parties involved in drawing up an inter-ministerial environment programme; it can be highly conducive to collaboration.

Who has developed the Actor Tool?

The Water & Soil as a Guiding Principle - Actor Tool has been developed by the Sustainable Water Systems in the Environment and Planning Act research group of Hall Larenstein UAS and the Law & Justice research programme of Leiden UAS, in collaboration with Climate Adaptation Services.

Date of publication

January 2026