Water Quality in the greater Rotterdam area // Episode 1 - Problem Definition Part.1

Small Premise:

Happy New Year SOStainable People! I hope you're doing good and that life is bringing you satisfactions and joy, and as well that you're constantly seeking to try to create a positive impact of any kind.

I apologise for my past absence and already apologise for the future absence as these months will continue to be pretty instense for my master and especially my master thesis! Despite the workload burden, it's something that I have fun doing so that always helps :).

I decided to bring a new content format to my blog. The idea consists of creating "tv series-type" blog articles where every month there will be a new episode (which is the follow-up the of the past month's one).

Here you go with the first episode! As for the last lines, I want to specify that this "series" is based on a group assignment I did throughout the last month prior to the Christmas holidays. The project was super interesting as it involved applying systems thinking for improving water management in the city where I moved for my studies, Rotterdam.

I hope you'll enjoy this first episode as much as I enjoyed working with my peers for creating this paper :)

Episode 1 - Problem Definition Part.1:

1.1 Sustainability Grand Challenge Case 

Water security in the Greater Rotterdam area exemplifies a sustainability grand challenge. Sustainability Grand Challenges are defined as specific critical barriers that, if removed, would help solve an important societal problem with a high likelihood of global impact through widespread implementation (George et al, 2016). The definition already anticipates the complex and multi-dimensional nature of water security, characterized by systemic barriers arising from the intersection of environmental, social, economic, and infrastructural dynamics, which, all together, make achieving water security a profoundly challenging endeavour.

The Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt Delta, a cornerstone of the Netherlands’ renowned history of effective water management, is facing significant challenges in water quality (Meyer et al., 2012). Currently, only 1% of Dutch river waters meet the ‘good’ quality standards set by the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD), placing the Netherlands last among EU member states in water quality rankings (Séveno, 2023). This issue is particularly acute in the Rhine-Meuse delta, where the two major European rivers, the Rhine and Meuse, converge and flow into the North Sea, and where Rotterdam is strategically located as a major port city (Meyer et al., 2012). These rivers bring pollution not only from domestic sources, such as agriculture, industry, and transport but also from upstream countries, making the delta a focal point of transboundary water quality challenges (Séveno, 2023). Poor water quality in the Rhine-Meuse delta exacerbates water scarcity by reducing the availability of clean, usable water resources and intensifying competition among different sectors. Industrial contaminants and emerging pollutants, such as those from agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, and untreated wastewater, significantly contribute to this issue, posing serious risks to public health and water treatment infrastructure (Rijksoverheid, 2021). Treating heavily polluted water requires increasingly energy-intensive and expensive processes, driving up the cost of water treatment and contributing to rising water prices for consumers. The complex relationships between pollution sources, resource availability, and treatment demands underscore the relational complexity of the Grand Challenge, as it creates a fragile network where even small changes can lead to significant ripple effects (Bauwens, 2024). 

Climate change can also be considered as a factor that contributes to intensifying water security challenges in Rotterdam, particularly through the increased frequency and severity of droughts. In particular, prolonged dry periods reduce the availability of freshwater in the region, while diminished river flows exacerbate the intrusion of seawater, leading to heightened salinity levels in critical water sources (Vineis, 2011). This rising salinity presents significant obstacles for utilities, which face escalating costs and the need for advanced treatment technologies to provide safe drinking water. Beyond domestic water supply, the increased salinity impacts agriculture and industry by limiting the usability of water for irrigation and production processes (Vineis, 2011). This intensifies competition for scarce water resources, creating additional pressure on Rotterdam’s already complex water management systems. The delicate interplay between climate change and water security underscores the multifaceted nature of this Grand Challenge as, considering the pressure above, all stakeholders must currently navigate difficult trade-offs between short-term economic demands and the long-term sustainability of water resources (Bauwens, 2024).

1.2 System Scope & Boundary

1.2.1 Current Challenges

As identified by Zlatanovic, the most critical challenges include “sufficient drinking water, safe drinking water, sustainable drinking water and affordable drinking water” (Zlatanovic, 2024, p. 31-25). First of all, climate change has resulted in prolonged drought periods in the Netherlands and increased salt intrusion (Meyer et al., 2012; Molenaar & Gebraad, 2014). That leads to two crucial problems, firstly the reduced levels of available drinking water (Molenaar & Gebraad, 2014). The scarce availability has several adverse consequences in itself, largely impacting the agricultural and horticultural sector and the various industries in the area that rely on the freshwater supply and wetlands in the region (Meyer et al., 2012). In addition to that, there is a reduction in water quality, which is a result of increasing average temperatures and reduced water flows caused by climate change (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en, 2024). Namely, this can increase the growth of blue-green algae and bacteria, and result in a lack of oxygen (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en, 2024). Consequently,  water becomes unsuitable for drinking and agriculture purposes (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, 2024b). Due to the challenges resulting from climate change, the price of drinking water is increasing (Evides, 2023). One main reason for this increase is the need for new infrastructures to handle the burden of water pollution. The current water sources are under pressure because they get increasingly polluted by pesticides and industrial waste. In addition, meltwater and rainfall are becoming less predictable in their quantity and quality (Van Der Plicht 2024). Moreover, an increase in population and economic activity in the last couple of years has led to an increase in water demand. The infrastructure is not built to handle the high demand and therefore an expensive process of infrastructure development is needed (Van Der Plicht, 2024). Lastly, the Dutch government is considering incorporating a higher price for excessive household water usage (Tweede Kamer, 2024). The goal is to reduce average water usage from 129 litres per person per year to 100 litres by 2030, whereby individuals who use above the average will pay more for their water. While no immediate price hikes are planned, it is an important development to take into account (Schouten, 2024). This challenge is even more difficult to consider given that water needs to be provided sustainably to ensure its long-term availability. Evides states that sustainable water involves minimizing environmental impact, reducing wastewater, and being efficient in water usage (Sustainability | Evides Industriewater, n.d.). Another sustainable approach is transitioning to circular water systems, which entails reusing and recycling water (Sustainability | Evides Industriewater, n.d.). 

1.2.2 Chosen Scope & Boundaries of Analysis

As outlined above, the grand challenge of water security in the Rotterdam area is growing particularly critical. Rotterdam is considered a delta city with over 80% of its urban areas located below sea level, making it even more critical to address water-related challenges (Municipality of Rotterdam, 2024). This paper will focus specifically on the quality of water, as currently the progress of European states towards achieving “good water quality” is still lacking (Zacharias et al., 2020). The quality of water includes “chemical, biological and hydro morphological parameters” for surface waters and “chemical and quantitative” criteria for groundwater, as defined by Boeuf et al (p. 4, 2016). Based on the analysis above, this research will focus on the current challenge of water pollution. To specify, this includes pollutants from industry waste like PFAS (Payne et al., 2024) and pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture (Zhang et al., 2018). These pollutants are the main threat to the availability, safety, sustainability and affordability of drinking water. Improving water quality directly addresses these challenges, making this an important aspect of the grand challenge to focus on.

That's it for part 1 episode 1. If you have any sort of questions or simply want to stimulate a discussion, feel free to comment below :)