Quick Scan Water and Soil Steering
Analysis process as steering tool for environmental visions
The government wants water and soil to steer the planning of the Netherlands. This complex task is largely delegated to municipalities. But how do you integrate water and soil steering into environmental visions? Witteveen+Bos has developed the Quick Scan Water and Soil Steering to assist policymakers in incorporating this radical new weighting factor.
At Witteveen+Bos, we have been working according to the 'Water and Soil Stewardship' principle for many years. Our knowledge and experience in working from the natural system has been used in this Quick Scan; a step-by-step plan useful for local governments. To avoid reinventing the wheel each time.
Managing water and soil in spatial initiatives means that soil and water determine the suitability of spatial plans. Not everything can be done everywhere, but more importantly, many things work better if you do them in the right place.
Natural system as a precondition
A municipality's environmental vision brings together all spatial, social and economic tasks. It is a long-term vision for the physical living environment, in which trends such as sea level rise and climate change have a major influence on the desired future. The soil and water system form the preconditions for the future vision.
Analyzing the municipality's water and soil system with the Quick Scan Water and Soil Steering provides insight into the opportunities and constraints of the system. Development strategies can thus be tailor-made when drawing up an environmental or area vision.
Important tasks such as combating subsidence, flooding and drought, and making soil quality more sustainable must all have a place in the environmental vision. Just like meeting (ground) water quality requirements and guaranteeing the availability and quality of drinking water. The Quick Scan forms the necessary foundation for a climate-proof design.
Analysis in three steps
The Quick Scan Water and Soil Steering by Witteveen+Bos comprises three steps:
- identifying the soil and water system;
- analyse trends;
- formulating opportunities and restrictions.
Going through these steps ensures that the relevant information is collected to make the right choices for Water and Soil Stewardship. This includes the structuring choices from the November 25, 2022 room letter.
The Quick Scan Water and Soil Stewardship, carried out by our consultants, results in a robust basis for Water and Soil Stewardship. The results are translated into a clear description and visualization of the constraints and opportunities.
From analysis to advice and vision creation
The analysis forms a starting point for the next step: advice and vision creation. Our consultants are ready to assist municipalities in drawing up a suitability map, describing the spatial tasks and translating them into action perspectives when drawing up an environmental vision on the basis of water and soil management.