A district water board (waterschap) is, just like a local authority, a public body, in what is referred to as the third layer of government.
The layers above are those of Province (Provincie) and State (Rijk). The Province sets up the district water boards, determines their responsibilities, and monitors their work and finances.
The final responsibility for water management in the Netherlands lies with the State. The State itself is directly responsible for water management issues that are of national importance, such as the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, and the large rivers. Rijkswaterstaat (the Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management) carries out the necessary work.
The District Water Board Veluwe has an 'algemeen bestuur' (Council consisting of elected members), a 'dagelijks bestuur' (Executive Board consisting of four members, the 'heemraden', chosen from among the elected members), and a chairman (the 'dijkgraaf' - the dike warden).
The District Water Board Veluwe is responsible for a safe and comfortable environment for living, working, and recreation. We therefore work closely with Provinces, local authorities, and all kinds of other bodies and interest groups, because our work, let's call it integral water management, is linked closely with areas of policy such as town and country planning, protection of the environment, agriculture, and nature conservation!
