ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the possibilities and limitations for the provincial authority in developing its policy for urban water management. According to the Provincial Comprehensive Plan for the Province of Drenthe, 'sustainability' must be a priority in all aspects of provincial policy. The purpose of this research was to disentangle the fuzzy nature of urban water management, which is set out as one of the policy sectors in the Drenthe provincial plan. The chapter gives an outline of urban water management in the Netherlands, followed by a survey of the complexity of the administrative structures. Urban water management refers to matters such as the open water systems of interconnected canals, rivers and ponds, the quality of drinking water, separation of rainwater and wastewater, groundwater, the attractiveness of living near open water, the recreational value of water, and wetland development.
