North Holland Province

The case study focuses on the responsibility of the water authority for water management in the province of Noord-Holland, excluding the city of Amsterdam. This area, home to 1.2 million people, lies 75% below sea level. The responsible water authority, HHNK, faces various challenges related to the WEFE Nexus, such as flood risk management and water quality preservation.

One of the challenges HHNK faces is maintaining freshwater supply and quality. Freshwater availability is under pressure due to climate change and rising sea levels (increased evaporation, longer periods without precipitation, and increasing salinization), a growing population, and the expansion of agriculture and industry. All these factors contribute to a significant decline in freshwater resources.

The HHNK management area covers 196,600 hectares, of which 34,050 hectares are urbanized. The region relies on three major freshwater sources: precipitation, groundwater reserves, and water intake from the IJsselmeer area. Additionally, wastewater treatment plants indirectly contribute by returning processed water to the surface water system. With 15 wastewater treatment plants, more than 100 million liters of wastewater are purified annually. Furthermore, 8% of the region consists of surface water, which HHNK manages in terms of both quantity and quality levels.

Water distribution within HHNK’s jurisdiction is managed through a combination of policy agreements, monitoring, and adaptation measures to ensure that water levels remain sufficient for both urban and rural needs. To achieve this, HHNK adopts an integrated approach and aims to create a positive impact by closely collaborating with stakeholders, including other government bodies (province, municipalities), the drinking water company (PWN), private entities, and environmental and agricultural organizations.