Urban Climate Adaptation in Water Management Policy: Implementation of Measures at Regional Water Authority Zuiderzeeland

The climate is changing, and the impact of these changes is affecting countries and communities globally. In 2018 the Delta Plan on Spatial Adaptation was created with the aim of establishing a climate-proof and water-robust country. This thesis aims to analyze what the role of regional water authorities is in the process of climate adaptation, and what factors and measures account for an effective climate adaptation policy to help ensure a water robust and climate proof urban environment. This thesis combines results from a literature study on climate adaptation measures and their successful implementation with a case study of the current situation at regional water authority (RWA) Zuiderzeeland. The current climate adaptation measures at the RWA are explored, as well as the adaptation measures that can be found in scientific literature. The literature study shows that urban climate adaptation measures can be divided into multiple categories, such as blue, green and gray, or physical and non-physical. The case study reveals that, while the concept of climate adaptation is present in many of the policy documents at Zuiderzeeland, detailed objectives are lacking. It is still in its infancy.