Water Transition Twente: system choices and regional capacity

The workshop, organised in collaboration with the Twentse Golf, the Climate Center at the University of Twente and the KIN, took place on the campus of the University of Twente.

The Twente region lies on high sandy soils and faces periods of drought and water scarcity. Climate change is increasing the pressure on this water system. At the same time, there is a growing demand for water from housing, agriculture, industry and nature. Twente therefore faces major choices. The analysis ‘Drought in Twente’ makes it clear that this problem cannot be solved with isolated measures or further optimisation of the existing system.

The day opened with drawings by artist (and Pact member) Justin Timmer, who draws his inspiration from nature. The way in which elements are interconnected within a system was a recurring theme in several discussions throughout the day. In the morning, the focus was on gathering the participants’ practical experiences and translating these into systemic questions. The diversity of participants at the Crutzen workshop – policy officers from the province, water boards and local authorities, researchers, entrepreneurs, consultants from consultancy firms, the financial sector and industry – brought abstract systemic questions to life. It was striking that in all sessions, the emphasis was far more on the challenges of ‘changing’ habits, behaviour, policy and organisations than on technical water management solutions. The various parallel sessions presented their findings at the end of the day to the panel, which included the deputy for the province of Overijssel, the water board chairman and the alderman for the municipality of Enschede.

The panel was positive about the day’s outcomes. “I was afraid that today would be all about water, but this is much more relevant,” was one of the comments. The administrators on the panel are, in fact, facing major systemic choices, which require support from the region. In this context, the transition issues are crucial.

The KIN will be working on a Knowledge-in-Action agenda in collaboration with its partners in Twente. More information will follow before the summer; we will keep you updated via the newsletter, amongst other channels.