HHNK Launches Podcast on Water Management

The Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Board is launching the podcast “Water for Later.” With this series, the water board aims to contribute to the debate on the future of water management. In thefirst episode, “ ” (Freshwater Addiction), Dike Reeve Remco Bosma argues that we are addicted to freshwater and need to break this habit. The podcast series will run for at least 1½ years.

Because the challenges in the region have become so great, water management is increasingly becoming everyone’s responsibility. Climate change, economic development, population growth, and land subsidence are making water management more and more challenging. As a result, having access to clean and sufficient water in a safe Noorderkwartier is becoming less of a given. 

Limits to Social Engineering in Sight

Due to climate change, the water system is reaching its physical and ecological limits. Land subsidence, salinization, and more extreme weather conditions have made the traditional approach of “draining water as quickly as possible” unsustainable and no longer sufficient. These limits become apparent during wet periods marked by flooding and dry periods marked by water shortages. Because the area lies largely below sea level, water level management in deep polders is complex. Strict requirements are also imposed on water quality, and water management increasingly determines where we can build and how we farm. Water management will therefore become even more of a collaborative effort in the future than it is today. 

Conserving Water

HHNK Water Board Chairman Remco Bosma speaks of a “freshwater addiction.” And that could come back to haunt us in the future. That is why the water board is looking far into the future, guided by, among other things, a vision for water management in 2050 and a plan for freshwater availability. According to Bosma, it’s crucial to join forces to keep our environment livable—by, among other things, using water more sparingly and becoming more self-reliant. In “Water for Later,” experts from various backgrounds engage in a dialogue. Listen on Spotify at to hear what this requires of farmers, nature and landscape organizations, industry, residents, and governments. 

From Cow to Water Buffalo

In the next episode, “From Cow to Water Buffalo,” landscape architect Steven Slabbers and Floor van Schie (HHNK) look ahead to the landscape of the22nd century. This episode will be available on Spotify around August 19.