For more than a year, I worked as communications adviser on the Water in Balans (Water in Balance) programme. In this programme, Water Board Limburg is working to prevent flooding as a consequence of climate change, together with partners such as municipalities, Limburg’s agricultural and horticultural association (Limburgse Land- en Tuinbouw Bond, LLTB), nature conservation organisations and the Province of Limburg. Inhabitants of Limburg can also do a great deal to prevent flooding, as is demonstrated by the campaign Wacht niet op water (Don’t wait for water).
Community engagement and communication
Community engagement and communication were central to this role: through newsletters and drop-in sessions, we engaged the community in the progress of plans, for example for the construction of rainwater buffers. When the coronavirus appeared on the scene, we switched to online participation. I am proud of the film series ‘Slim omgaan met water’ (Smart water management), which features farmers, among others, who use many different methods to retain water on their land. I also look back with pleasure at Gebied Kwistbeek, one of the area-based pilot projects in the run-up to the introduction of the Environment and Planning Act.
