Managing water as a socio-technical system: the shift from ‘experts’ to ‘alliances’

Abstract

This paper argues that the management of flooding in England has shifted from a technocratic focus, in which engineering expertise was reified, to a more socially diffuse set of approaches seeking to disassemble the predominant institutional hegemony. Some explanation for this shift, commonly referred to as the transition from flood defence to flood risk management, can be found by situating changes historically: Food shortages after World War I prompted the Land Drainage Act (1930), generating a new financial structure linked to increased food productivity. The Act created a centralised funding mechanism for flood defences, enabling large-scale re-engineering of the countryside, but removed the guarantee of an individual's protection from flooding that had existed since the Sewers Act of 1532. Climate change and ongoing development of urban areas on flood plains present new challenges to flood risk management. Looking forward, this paper illustrates that the concept of learning alliances, which draw on Habermassian ideas of communicative action, provide an appropriate platform to facilitate the transition to effective flood risk management. Through reference to a current English case study, the Don Catchment learning alliance (situated within the wider Yorkshire and Humber learning alliance), this paper maps ongoing transitions.

Structuring Climate Adaptation through Multiple Perspectives: Framework and Case Study on Flood Risk Management

“…Notwithstanding, there are also examples of studies taking a dual perspective such as those considering socio with other domains such as technical, economic, cultural or equityinclusiveness [16,[18][19][20]. Eriksen, et al [21] argue that there are multiple perspectives to climate adaptation and present the "Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" IPCC [22] as evidence.…”

The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht

“…As an example, the flooding system's identity in the present is not at all like it has been in the past, even in living memory (e.g. Newman et al, 2011). Although the identity approach is useful for defining resilience in relation to STS, it also has limitations.…”

“…Step 3A: development of a conceptual model According to Newman et al (2011), the flooding system can be considered as a STS: its main function is to provide flood risk management. Therefore, aspects of identity (components, relationships, innovation and continuity) have been selected that relate directly to this function.…”

Structuring Climate Adaptation through Multiple Perspectives

“…a problem that is recognised as fitting with a decision makers' usual intuitive view of the world. Notwithstanding, there are also examples of studies taking a dual perspective such as those considering socio with other domains such as technical, economic, cultural or equity-inclusiveness [16,[18][19][20]. Eriksen, et.al [21] argue that there are multiple perspectives to climate adaptation and present the "Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" IPCC [22] as evidence.…”