Integrating nature-based solutions in flood risk management plans: A matter of individual beliefs?

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Mario Brillinger
  • Jennifer Henze
  • Christian Albert
  • Reimund Schwarze

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number148896
JournalScience of the Total Environment
Volume795
Early online date6 Jul 2021
Publication statusPublished - 15 Nov 2021

Abstract

The formulation of management plans as required by EU environmental policies such as the Floods Directive may facilitate the uptake of nature-based solutions (NBS) into practice. Previous research has indicated that the uptake of NBS in water management plans is still low and hindered by various elements of the existing water governance system. However, research so far neglected the role of water managers as “plan-makers” of solution strategies and programs of measures, as well as their beliefs in choosing certain measures in the plan-making process. The aim of this study is to shed more light on the plan-makers' reasoning for integrating, or not integrating, NBS into specific flood risk management plans (FRMPs). We conducted ten qualitative interviews with plan-makers from Germany and adopted a grounded theory approach to identify their beliefs that underlie the process of formulating FRMPs as well as their perceived role in this process. The analysis reveals a dominance of shared substantive and relational beliefs that are obstructive to a greater uptake of NBS in FRMPs. In particular, identified beliefs about NBS often do not align with their self-perception of their role in being the “plan-makers”. We present a differentiated portrait of water managers as key actors in the decision-making on FRMPs, illustrating that while water managers are belonging to the same distinct professional group with a similar social role in the decision-making process, they do not necessarily share the same preferences.

Keywords

    Beliefs, Decision-making, Flood risk management, Nature-based solutions, Policy implementation, Water managers

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Integrating nature-based solutions in flood risk management plans: A matter of individual beliefs? / Brillinger, Mario; Henze, Jennifer; Albert, Christian et al.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 795, 148896, 15.11.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Brillinger M, Henze J, Albert C, Schwarze R. Integrating nature-based solutions in flood risk management plans: A matter of individual beliefs? Science of the Total Environment. 2021 Nov 15;795:148896. Epub 2021 Jul 6. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148896
Brillinger, Mario ; Henze, Jennifer ; Albert, Christian et al. / Integrating nature-based solutions in flood risk management plans : A matter of individual beliefs?. In: Science of the Total Environment. 2021 ; Vol. 795.
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title = "Integrating nature-based solutions in flood risk management plans: A matter of individual beliefs?",
abstract = "The formulation of management plans as required by EU environmental policies such as the Floods Directive may facilitate the uptake of nature-based solutions (NBS) into practice. Previous research has indicated that the uptake of NBS in water management plans is still low and hindered by various elements of the existing water governance system. However, research so far neglected the role of water managers as “plan-makers” of solution strategies and programs of measures, as well as their beliefs in choosing certain measures in the plan-making process. The aim of this study is to shed more light on the plan-makers' reasoning for integrating, or not integrating, NBS into specific flood risk management plans (FRMPs). We conducted ten qualitative interviews with plan-makers from Germany and adopted a grounded theory approach to identify their beliefs that underlie the process of formulating FRMPs as well as their perceived role in this process. The analysis reveals a dominance of shared substantive and relational beliefs that are obstructive to a greater uptake of NBS in FRMPs. In particular, identified beliefs about NBS often do not align with their self-perception of their role in being the “plan-makers”. We present a differentiated portrait of water managers as key actors in the decision-making on FRMPs, illustrating that while water managers are belonging to the same distinct professional group with a similar social role in the decision-making process, they do not necessarily share the same preferences.",
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