The Dutch government approved 143 permits in 2025 that failed to adequately account for the risks of flooding, according to reporting by Nieuwsblad. The oversight has prompted criticism that authorities are effectively enabling conditions that exacerbate water damage.
A progress report from the Policy Table on Water Nuisance and High Water, dated July 24, 2025, details ongoing actions and recommendations stemming from the table’s final advice. The report focuses on key themes including water awareness, prevention, damage limitation, crisis management, recovery, governance, and international cooperation. The report was included as an appendix to a letter from Minister Tieman of Infrastructure and Water Management to the Dutch Parliament regarding water safety.
The issue of inadequate permit review comes as the Netherlands faces increasing challenges from extreme rainfall. In July 2025, the town of Roodeschool in Groningen province experienced 46.6 millimeters of rainfall in a single evening, contributing to localized flooding, according to Weeronline.nl.
A briefing to Parliament on October 30, 2025, outlined the growing need to protect the country not only from sea and river flooding, but also from water damage caused by rainfall. The briefing, contained in Kamerstuk 27625, nr. 721, noted an increase in heavy downpours and prolonged rainfall periods, exacerbated by climate change and rising sea levels. The document referenced KNMI’231 climate scenarios and Delta scenarios in support of this assessment.
The briefing further defined water nuisance as occurring when rainfall of 4 millimeters or more, or prolonged rainfall, overwhelms local drainage capacity. It highlighted the potential for damage to infrastructure, cultural heritage, the built environment, nature, and agricultural areas, as well as the impact on mental health. The document cited the severe flooding in Limburg in 2021 and similar events in Valencia, Spain in October 2024 as examples of the potential consequences.
The Policy Table’s progress report also indicated the impending release of a unified branding concept intended to support campaigns and actions related to water awareness and self-reliance, coordinated between the Ministry and stakeholders including water boards and drinking water companies.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the 143 permits identified as deficient in risk assessment.
