Identification of stakeholder perspectives on future flood management in the Rhine basin using Q methodology

摘要

This article identifies different stakeholder perspectives on future floodmanagement in the downstream parts of the Rhine basin in Germany and TheNetherlands. The perspectives were identified using Q methodology, whichproved to be a good, but time-intensive, method for eliciting and analyzingstakeholder perspectives in a structured and unbiased way. Three sharedperspectives were found: A) "Anticipation and institutions", B) "Space forflooding" and C) "Knowledge and engineering". These three perspectives sharea central concern for the provision of safety against flooding, but disagreeon the expected autonomous developments and the preferred measures. Inperspective A, the expected climate change and economic growth call for fastaction. To deal with the increasing flood risk, mostly institutionalmeasures are proposed, such as the development of a stronger basincommission. In perspective B, an increasing spatial pressure on the riverarea is expected, and the proposed measures are focused on mitigatingdamage, e.g., through controlled flooding and compartmentalization. Inperspective C, the role of expert knowledge and technological improvementsis emphasized. Preferred strategies include strengthening the dikes anddifferentiation of safety standards.An overview of stakeholder perspectives can be useful in natural resourcesmanagement for 1) setting the research agenda, 2) identifying differences invalues and interests that need to be discussed, 3) creating awareness amonga broad range of stakeholders, and 4) developing scenarios.