Multi-level stakeholder engagement in flood risk management-A question of roles and power

Author(s)
Meike Levin-Keitel
Abstract

In the past years, stakeholder engagement has become more important in flood risk management. On the one hand stakeholder engagement is often declared as a better way of management, a more successful way to reach consensus in policy discussions. On the other hand is the implementation of increasing stakeholder engagement far away from being as positive, where stakeholder engagement often ends in diverse difficulties and conflicts between political leaders and stakeholder groups. This paper aims to highlight participatory governance in flood risk management to provide an overview of the potential contributions and challenges of a participatory and collaborative governance approach. In this paper, we discuss the role of national authorities and local stakeholders in English flood risk management in three different examples (Bridgwater, Cockermouth and Morpeth). The results show that the Cockermouth and Morpeth flood risk management scheme is characterised by a high level of local self-responsibility in the planning and decision-making process. The study sites with high local capacity (Cockermouth and Morpeth) show a strong leadership at local level and bottom-up concepts and ideas. The local involvement in the discussion and decision-process depends on the local capacity (capacity to act), such as resources (knowledge, financial, time), interest, social and cultural capital. It strongly depends on these aspects, if localities are able to ensure their interests and needs at national level.

Organisation(s)
Department of Geography and Regional Research
External organisation(s)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Middlesex University, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Journal
Environmental Science and Policy
Volume
55
Pages
292-301
No. of pages
10
ISSN
1462-9011
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2015.04.007
Publication date
01-2016
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
507012 Spatial structure
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Geography, Planning and Development, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/f9c331c6-bb78-4aab-beb8-e34cada035a2