Politics · Netherlands · 1 day ago
Dutch municipalities say they need more funding to prepare for emergencies
Municipalities in the Netherlands say they need much more national funding to prepare for emergencies and other threats.
These include cyberattacks, hybrid threats and climate-related dangers such as wildfires.
The Dutch government has set aside €35 million for emergency support centres, plus a planned increase from €20 million to €70 million for digital and social resilience and continuity.
The Association of Netherlands Municipalities says the total need could be hundreds of millions of euros.
Municipalities say they need resources such as emergency generators, satellite phones, radios, fire engines, evacuation plans and public training.
In Austerlitz, a village in a wooded area, volunteers are working with emergency services to practise how residents would be warned and evacuated during a wildfire.
The municipalities are due to discuss needs such as shelter and evacuation with the Ministry of Justice and Security, while the government says its spending will not cover every need.
Dutch municipalities say the national government has not allocated enough money to prepare for emergencies and other threats.
The Association of Netherlands Municipalities says the total funding needed could amount to hundreds of millions of euros.
The government has allocated €35 million for emergency support centres and announced an additional funding series of €20 million to €70 million.
Municipalities say they need resources for measures including evacuation planning, communications equipment and emergency services.
In Austerlitz, volunteers are working with the safety region to practise what to do if a wildfire threatens the village.
- Who
- Dutch municipalities, represented by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, say they need more funding. The government has allocated funding for emergency preparedness.
- What
- Municipalities say government funding is insufficient to prepare for threats including cyberattacks, hybrid threats and climate-related dangers.
- When
- NOS published the report on 10 October 2026. The article does not state when the government funding was announced.
- Where
- The Netherlands, including Austerlitz in the municipality of Zeist and Rotterdam.
- Why
- Municipalities say they need more resources to strengthen preparedness, support residents and maintain services during emergencies.
Association of Netherlands Municipalities
Dutch government
Funding needed
Association of Netherlands Municipalities
The association says the gap between what municipalities need and what the government has allocated is large, and estimates the total need at hundreds of millions of euros.
Dutch government
The government has allocated €35 million for emergency support centres and announced an additional funding series of €20 million to €70 million for resilience measures.
I assume that in total it will amount to hundreds of millions.
We work together with the safety region and train what happens when our village is threatened.
Resilience goes further than emergency support centres. We also need to invest in society itself, in a strong social fabric that helps us during an emergency and in the recovery afterwards.
These kinds of initiatives are gold.
Austerlitz volunteers had been asking the safety region to hold an exercise.
NOS published its report on municipalities' call for more funding.
Austerlitz volunteers took part in their first exercise with the safety region.
- Government funding for emergency support centres
- €35 million
- Additional government funding series
- €20 million to €70 million
- Estimated total municipal funding need
- Hundreds of millions of euros
- Austerlitz village WhatsApp group
- 600 people
- Publication date
- 10 October 2026
Sources
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