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Wadden Area Management Board (RCW)

Many people live in the Wadden area and various governments and organizations work, all of which have something to say about which direction the Wadden area should take. To regulate all plans and decisions, a Wadden Area Management Board has been established, an administrative organization that must coordinate policy and plans surrounding the Wadden Sea.

Wadden Area Management Board

The government, provinces, municipalities and water boards work together in the Wadden Area Management Board (RCW) to develop the broad outlines of the policy regarding the Wadden Sea. RCW coordinates government plans in the area and the enforcement of laws and regulations. Everything that has to do with the Wadden Sea and the Wadden area can be discussed in the RCW. Cooperation with Germany and Denmark is also discussed in this forum.

From Regional to Direction

On May 25, 2012, the RCW made a new start and no longer continued as Regional College Waddenzee, but as Waddenzee Regiecollege with a new administrative organization. The RCW focuses on a Wadden zoning plan.

RCW new style

The RCW includes administrative partners, the government, province, municipalities and water boards, who look at the area integrally and coordinate with each other what should happen in the area and what should not. The RCW looks at developments in the area, but is not a policy maker. The RCW is a coordination consultation platform and has a networking function. The RCW discusses and communicates and ensures coherence in the various plans for the Wadden area. At the RCW, the interests of the Wadden area come first. Every year, a Wadden Day is held in collaboration with the ministry, which also includes consultation with the minister.

Program of measures

Agreements are elaborated in a Program of Measures. The Living on the Wadden Measures Program lists many projects that must be coordinated. One of the projects on that list was the exploration of whether the Wadden Sea could become a world heritage site. Since 2009, the Wadden Sea has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Some examples from the Program of Measures:

  • Wet mudflat nature recovery plan
  • Dynamic dune management
  • Salt marsh hertsel mainland project
  • Protect habitat and species
  • Pilot dynamics of island salt marshes
  • Coastal management
  • Innovation in water transport and ferry services
  • Dike reinforcement
  • Energy projects and self-sufficiency
  • Landscape development plans
  • Innovation lighting technology
  • Sustainable fishing
  • Investments in transport and education
  • Sustainable building.

 

Cost

The costs incurred by the organization of the RCW are housing and office costs and personnel costs, totaling approximately 200,000 euros. The RCW members contribute to the costs according to the following distribution:

  • Empire 50%;
  • Provinces 30%;
  • Municipalities 15%;
  • Water boards 5%.

 

House for the Wadden

The RCW has a central secretariat that is housed in Leeuwarden in the House for the Wadden. That House is owned by the Old Burger Orphanage Foundation and is rented to the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management. In addition to the RCW, the House for the Wadden also includes the Wadden Academy, Wadden Fund Implementation Organization Working Group and Wadden Sea World Heritage.
Contact details:

  • House for the Wadden
  • Ruiterskwartier 121a
  • 8911 BS Leeuwarden

 

RCW members

The members of the RCW are involved in the area, live and work there and bear responsibility for it based on their position.
The RCW consists of 12 members and a secretary. Bas Eenhoorn was chairman of the RCW from November 2012 to November 2018. He succeeded John Jorritsma. After Eenhoorn, Arno Brok, King’s Commissioner in Fryslân, took over the gavel.
The membership list is composed as follows:

  • Independent chairman: 1
  • Rijkswaterstaat, Ministry of Economic Affairs: 2
  • Provinces: Groningen, Friesland and North Holland: 3
  • Municipalities: island and mainland: 2
  • Water boards: 1
  • Economy: 1
  • Ecology: 1
  • Sciences: 1

 

The members in 2019:

  1. Arno Brok – Independent chairman
  2. Paul van Erkelens – Dijkgraaf Wetterskip Fryslân
  3. Bert Wassink – Mayor of Terschelling
  4. Erica Slump – Chief Engineer-Director of Rijkswaterstaat Northern Netherlands
  5. Henk Staghouwer – Provincial Executive of the Province of Groningen
  6. Cees Loggen – Provincial Executive for the Province of North Holland
  7. Jaap Verhulst – Regional Ambassador North, Ministry of Economic Affairs
  8. Klaas Kielstra – Provincial Executive for the Province of Fryslân
  9. Theo Meskers – Alderman of the Municipality of Hollands Kroon
  10. Arjen Kok – Provincial ambassador Friesland/Groningen/The Wadden Association Nature Moments
  11. Eisse Luitjens – Development and Innovation Manager at the Northern Development Company (NOM)
  12. Jouke van Dijk – Chairman of the Wadden Academy
  13. Ruud de Jong – Secretary Wadden Area Management Board

 

Meetings

The RCW meets about six times a year. The meetings of the RCW are not publicly accessible and the meeting documents are not made public. The agenda and decisions will be announced and published on the website. Anyone who sees a topic on the agenda for which he or she has an interesting contribution can make this known to the secretariat.

  • Website: www.waddenzee.nl
  • Secretary of the RCW: Ruud de Jong
  • Phone 058-2339012
  • E-mail: [email protected]

 

visiting address

House for the Wadden
Ruiterskwartier 121 A
8911 BS Leeuwarden

read more

  • Wadden Sea World Heritage in Fotopedia and Heritage App
  • Seagrass in the Wadden Sea – indicator for quality
  • Common and gray seals in the Wadden Sea
  • Derricks on Ameland – Natural gas extraction in the Wadden area
  • Former mayor of Ameland: Albert de Hoop