What the Netherlands can teach us about including the public in climate change plans

The Netherlands is known for its canals, windmills and cycling culture.

But what some may not know is that it has a high risk of flooding due to its low elevation.

It’s among the impacts of climate change that the Dutch government seeks to address.

To do so, it has set out a long-term spatial approach to ensure the whole of the Netherlands will be water-resilient and climate-proof by 2050.

The Delta Plan on Spatial Adaptation, outlines how engagement with stakeholders assists the government in understanding needs now and in the future.

This embodies principles 1 and 7 of the Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) guidance:

• Principle 1: sets out that governments need a clear vision for the environmental outcomes they want to achieve for their country
• Principle 7: shows how including stakeholders in the strategic planning process ensures the longevity of projects and programmes

How does the plan deliver on pressing needs?

To create a country that is water-resilient and climate-proof, the Dutch government has prioritised actions to address waterlogging, heat stress, drought and flooding by 2050.

To do this, the plan is divided into seven areas:

1. Mapping vulnerabilities
2. Having conversations about risks
3. Drawing up implementation plans
4. Benefitting from plans that address similar needs
5. Promoting and facilitating a long-term vision
6. Regulating and implementing spatial plans
7. Responding to disasters

The key to achieving all of these is taking a spatial approach. This involves using a national strategy to address land and water needs across the country.

Engaging with stakeholders

Hearing from all parties affected by the impacts of climate change ensures that the government’s response meets the needs of all stakeholders.

Of the seven areas above, three areas particularly focus on delivering a spatial vision using a strong collaborative approach:

Combining infrastructure needs to reach 2050 targets

To become water-resilient and climate-proof, the national government can connect with different levels of government that also use a spatial approach to respond to similar infrastructure needs.

This involves combining plans that address similar long-term infrastructure needs, such as managing rising temperatures, waterlogging and the use of sustainable energy.

Municipal plans that look to address the needs listed above have helped to construct heating grids that store water throughout neighbourhoods.

These are useful in the event of heat waves and can also be a sustainable drainage solution.

Discussions to address infrastructure needs

The Netherlands communicates with the public through risk dialogues to help them understand and respond to the various water-related infrastructure needs across the country.

These discussions raise the importance of addressing critical issues experienced in certain geographic areas.

For example, concerns around flooding resulted in improvements to the Grebbe dike, which was upgraded to protect over 250,000 residents.

Maintaining the long-term vision

To support its spatial strategy, the government provides opportunities for the public to engage with infrastructure experts (e.g., government authorities, private parties, NGOs).

Experts encourage the public to share their thoughts on the Netherlands’ spatial strategy during in-person sessions. These ideas are then shared with the national government.

At one of the sessions, stakeholders raised the need to prioritise infrastructure that responds to rising temperatures, such as constructing housing with adequate cooling systems.

The plan has since been updated to include addressing heat stress as a key component of creating a more water-resilient and climate-proof country by 2050.

Using lessons learned

Since the implementation of the plan, the Netherlands has been able to better respond to geographic needs for infrastructure. This has enabled the country to build its water resilience and respond to climate change.

Due to the success of the plan, the National Delta programme started in 2024 to take the initial plan, and wider spatial approach, further – beyond 2050.

This showcases the value of the original strategy and how it can be improved to respond to the needs of future generations.

Another country that has a strong spatial approach to planning is Ireland. Its national plan incorporates all areas of infrastructure (housing, transport, water, culture), outlining a clear ambition for where and when infrastructure will be implemented.

The UK also recently unveiled its 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, which takes on a spatial approach to planning infrastructure in multiple areas such as housing, energy and transportation.