Restoring natural streams in the city

Until the 1960s, Enschede in the east of the Netherlands was known for its  textile industry. This water-intensive industry extracted great quantities of groundwater which eventually caused numerous natural streams to dry up. The land was later exploited for building roads and houses. With the downfall of the textile industry, groundwater levels have risen again, without the natural streams being able to absorb it. This causes flooding of streets and houses.  

The Stadsbeek project tackles groundwater and rainwater flooding in the Pathmos and Stadsveld districts. At the same time, the area around the stream has been adapted to the future climate by, for example, more trees and plants in the street. This Enschede-wide climate approach keeps the city healthy and attractive to live in, now and in the future. In this project, the municipality of Enschede cooperates with the Water Board, the Province, housing corporations and residents.  

To tackle the water problems properly at once, three measures were taken:  

1. Installing drainage pipes to lower the groundwater levels  
2. Creating a stream at the same place where it used to run, which drains rainwater and groundwater  
3. Creating storage areas where rainwater is retained for longer

Involving residents and stakeholders 

The project sets a local society in motion by integrating wishes and ideas of residents. Stakeholders are working together including the municipality, residents, the  water board, housing corporations, businesses, schools and knowledge institutions. To get a proper understanding of the problems, the municipality of Enschede first conducted a survey, made 75 home visits and carried out soil drilling. Three meetings for local residents provided information about the Stadsbeek project. The municipality organised meetings for residents to involve them in the design and improvement of their own living environment.  

Together with the municipality, residents were able to design the stream and the layout of their own street which led to great support and enthusiasm. Project Stadsbeek is an example of the 'Climate Active City'. . Besides tackling problems, Stadsbeek increases the city's livability and climate resilience to flooding and heat stress. The stream brings cooling to the city through evaporation, supply of cool water and greenery on the banks.

#WaterWiseEU campaign 

This story has been submitted by a partner of the #WaterWiseEU campaign. The EU-wide campaign focuses on water resilience, aiming to change the way we see, use and value water. Find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.