ABSTRACT

Following on closely from the theme of the last chapter, this chapter describes a research project into policy approaches towards sustainable urban water management in the Province of Drenthe (see De Boer et al. 2002). The aim of the study was to explore 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 (Drenthe Province 1998), ‘sustainability’ must be a priority in all aspects of provincial policy. As already discussed in previous chapters, ‘sustainability’ remains a fuzzy notion from the perspective of most of the actors involved in the development and implementation of planning policies in Drenthe. 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.