Evaluating social learning in English flood risk management: an ‘individual-community interaction’ perspective’

Benson, David, Lorenzoni, Irene and Cook, Hadrian (2016) Evaluating social learning in English flood risk management: an ‘individual-community interaction’ perspective’. Environmental Science and Policy, 55 (2). pp. 326-334. ISSN 1873-6416

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Abstract

Stakeholder participation in environmental management has become widespread globally while the normative benefits of multi-stakeholder processes in governing natural resources are promoted by academics and policy makers. As projections indicate more frequent and intense flood events with future climate change, this article examines one stakeholder participation process within UK flood risk management to evaluate whether it contributes to enhancing effective engagement, through social learning. Evidence is derived from multiple interviews conducted within the UK’s Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs), which were specifically introduced to better integrate local level interests in regional flood defence decision-making. In testing a modified ‘individual-community interaction’ learning framework, it is apparent that personal and group learning outcomes were evident to varying degrees, suggesting that stakeholder participation was relatively successful. However, our analysis suggests that flexibility exists within such structures, allowing reflexive reconstitution to further increase social learning. Recommendations for future stakeholder participation are proposed, providing lessons for both UK flood governance and similar flood risk management processes in other countries.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: flood risk management,social learning,governance,stakeholder participation,regional scale,sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups: University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Science, Society and Sustainability
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine Knowledge Exchange Network
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 01 Dec 2015 07:24
Last Modified: 20 Oct 2023 01:01
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/55523
DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2015.05.013

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