Practitioner review

Dealing with the issue of adaptive delta management (ADM) in the Dutch Delta Programme on a regular basis, I am very pleased with this special issue of Journal of Water and Climate Change. Many of the researchers active over the last years in the frontline of this rapidly developing field are represented in the seven papers of this issue. The papers, ranging from technical analysis to reflections on governance aspects, prove the practical value of the ADM approach, point out possible limitations and offer suggestions for further improvements.

ADM follows an adaptive and integrated approach. ‘Adaptive’ refers to the quality of being able to speed up or temporize the implementation of measures or to switch to an altogether different strategy; ‘delta’ refers to a dynamic water-rich region, often characterized by high population densities and large economic values, where developments are highly connected, therefore requiring an...