Recent high-level meetings have confirmed the importance of collaborative efforts across all domains, including water management. We are pleased that our joint research on floods and droughts in transboundary river basins was recognised during these discussions. On 25 March 2025, during a consultation meeting between Nord-Rhein Westfalia (NRW) and the Netherlands, and on 1 April 2025, during a meeting between Flanders and the Netherlands, these governments reconfirmed their commitment to water management cooperation.
During the meeting between Flanders and the Netherlands, the importance of cooperation to tackle water management challenges in the Scheldt and Maas River basins was highlighted. Recognising the importance of transboundary cooperation, those governments reaffirmed their agreement to join forces through the JCAR ATRACE cooperation programme and the Benelux Water Agenda: "We are working together through these forums to develop knowledge for stress tests and action plans for extreme flooding and drought situations. A joint investigation into the optimisation of cross-border warning systems will be conducted."
Similarly, the governments of NRW and the Netherlands will continue leveraging our programme to intensify knowledge development and exchange for flood protection.
You can find more details about those meetings below:
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Meeting between Flanders and the Netherlands (in Dutch)
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Meeting between NRW and the Netherlands (in Dutch and German)
