On this page you will find from module 4:
Assignment Meuse River- the organisations Contrat de Rivière Meuse Aval & Rijkswaterstaat
In this assignment you will answer six open questions after you have watched two interview videos. Underneath each question you see an answerbox. Within this box you will write your answer. When you have done this you go to the following question and do the same.
When you arrived at the last question & answer, you click on the box: Finish
At this moment you will see which answers are correct. Besides seeing which answer is correct of the multiple-choice questions, you also see the general feedback for the open questions.
The reduction of plastic litter in the Meuse River is a clear example of an approach that needs multiple-actors and multiple levels of governance. In this assignment we focus on some of the actors that are involved in the LIVES project, that operates at the cross-border level of different organisations connected to the Meuse River. In this assignment we will focus on two actors: the Belgium civil society organisation Contrat de Rivière Meuse Aval and the Dutch governmental organisation Rijkswaterstaat (part of the Ministry of Infractructure and Water Management).
In this assignment you will focus on how they perceive their responsibility for the plastic litter and what they currently do to reduce the plastic litter in the Meuse River. Furthermore you will compare these organisations, to highlight the similarities and challenges in their responses to reduce plastic litter.
First watch the interview video of Sandra Godfroid of the NGO organisation Contrat de Rivière Meuse Aval to answer question 1 & 2.
See the video: Plastic Litter governance – Contrat de Rivière Meuse Aval
Then watch the interview video of Lea Crijns of Rijkwaterstaat (part of the Ministry of Infractructure and Water Management) to answer question 3 & 4.
See the video: Plastic Litter governance – Rijkswaterstaat
And to answer the last two questions, compare the two different organisations, the non-governmental organisation Contrat de Rivière Meuse Aval and the governmental organisation Rijkswaterstaat.
Based on this videos, answer the following questions:
Results
#1. 1. Who does Sandra Godfroid see as responsible for plastic litter and how does her organisation Contrat de Rivière Meuse AVAL take its responsibility for the plastic litter problem?
Multiple answers are correct, example answer:
Sandra Godfroid explains that the people that generate the litter are responsible for it. Governmental organisations are responsible for correct collecting of litter. However when the litter has entered the environment nobody is responsible, at the same time everybody is responsible, as it is an collective responsibility.Contrat de Rivière Meuse AVAL is taking its responsibility as they focus on improving the water quality of the Meuse River, litter is one of the problems for the water quality. They analyse where the litter is, in order to support clean-up and inform the public of this problem.
#2. 2. Why is according to Sandra Godfroid collaboration necessary for a plastic litter free Meuse River?
Multiple answers are correct, example answer:
Sandra Godfroid explains collaboration is necessary to establish an integrated management, as the litter problem of rivers do not stop at borders.
#3. 3. Who does Lea Crijns see as responsible for plastic litter and how does her organisation Rijkswaterstaat take its responsibility for the plastic litter problem?
Multiple answers are correct, example answer:
Lea Crijns explains that the responsibility for plastic litter in a river is not clear, as there are many different sources for the litter that ends up in the river. On the shore, owners of the land are responsible for the litter on their land, however it’s not fair to keep owners responsible for litter that is put on their land by the river when the river overflows.
Rijkswaterstaat takes its responsibility by collecting the litter that ends up on the shores of the River. It cleans the areas of which Rijkswaterstaat is responsible, for example the area of an harbour, and supports other land owners to clean up-the shores.
#4. 4. How does Rijkswaterstaat collaborate in their response to the plastic litter issue of the Meuse River?
Multiple answers are correct, example answer:
Rijkswaterstaat collaborates with several organisations in clean-up actions of the Meuse River. Each organisation uses its own strength. For example the nature education organisation IVN organises volunteers to help with clean-up actions. Whereas Rijkswaterstaat provides the containers to remove the litter from the area. Rijkswaterstaat also provides financial support for these clean-up actions.
#5. 5. What are for you the most important differences between the two organisations?
Multiple answers are correct, example answer:
What you see as an important difference between the organisations is your personal perspective. Differences that you can mention are the difference between the type of organisation: Contrat de Rivière Meuse AVAL is a non-governmental organisation, whereas Rijkswaterstaat is an governmental organisation. This also influences the type of responsibility they see for themselves. Whereas Rijkswaterstaat is more guided by legal regulations, Contrat de Rivière Meuse AVAL is more focused on informing the public and enhancing actions.
#6. 6. What is a shared challenge for both organisations in their response to the issue of plastic litter in the Meuse River?
Multiple answers are correct, example answer:
A shared challenge is the international character of the plastic litter problem of the Meuse River. The problem of divers sources of the plastic litter that enter the rivers at all places, its cumulates in the river, resulting in the highest concentrations in the Netherlands, both on the shores and ending up in the Sea. Another challenge that is mentioned in the interviews of Sandra Godfroid is the challenge of finding the persons that dump litter in the environment. This is connected to the challenge to reduce the amount of litter entering the Meuse, which is also addressed in the interview of Lea Crijns.
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