More space for greenery and water in Utrecht-Sud-Ouest

More greenery and space for water to preserve the region’s biodiversity and quality of life. With this mission, the regional adaptation strategy (RAS) of the Southwest Utrecht Water & Climate network was officially launched on Thursday.

With this approach, the Utrecht-Southwest region is preparing for potentially more extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. Fourteen municipalities, the De Stichtse Rijnlanden Water Board, the province of Utrecht and the security region of Utrecht have expressed their ambition to make the region climate-proof and water-resilient by 2050 in later.

The parties within Water & Climate argue that due to climate change, the environment must be designed in such a way that the effects can be absorbed as efficiently as possible. “We did not adapt our living environment to climate change overnight,” said Marieke Schouten, municipal councilor of Nieuwegein and president of the network.

“The first steps formulated in the RAS provide tools on how we can work together. We need to work together in the region and take small, meaningful steps. In this way, we can initiate a major movement, ”says Schouten. It is not known what role is reserved for farmers and horticulturalists in the SAR.