ABSTRACT
Like so many other deltas in the world, the Dutch Delta is heavily urbanized. Because this is important to understanding the delta, this chapter first explores its urban development and its highly fragmented urban pattern, a situation that is strongly related to a rather fragmented system of government. The urban pattern of the Netherlands—as well as large parts of the neighboring Belgian region of Flanders—is scattered and occasionally even fragmented. Some of the urban development in the South Wing no longer looks sustainable from a water management perspective. The boundaries of each urban region and the South Wing are mostly regarded as fixed. The growth of the population and the expansion of urban areas across the country has increased the number of participants interested in local and regional flood protection and water management. The fact that social conflicts over water management are increasing does not mean there is great public interest in what water boards are doing.
