Governing groundwater excess: insights from a failed collaborative process in Delft, the Netherlands

Abstract

ABSTRACT Groundwater governance tends to be concerned with problems of over-extraction and pollution. Groundwater excess, which is increasingly becoming a problem in many places around the world, has largely been ignored. This article discusses groundwater excess and particularly the governance approach for engaging with groundwater excess. By discussing a case study in the Netherlands, we argue that groundwater excess has a varied impact on different actors. This varied impact and the fact that the legal framework largely ignores groundwater excess presents a significant challenge for governing groundwater resources.