citizen observatories of water = participatory + improved … · 2013. 7. 1. · uta wehn de...

© WeSenseIt Consortium

Uta Wehn de Montalvo (UNESCO-IHE)

J. Evers, M. Rusca, A. Onencan, V. Lanfranchi, F. Ciravegna

Citizen observatories of water = participatory + improved governance?


Content

• Citizen participation in water governance - concepts • Current institutional set up – empirical results for WeSenseIt UK & NL case studies

• Potential for citizen participation

• Implications for water governance


CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN WATER GOVERNANCE - CONCEPTS


FEEDBACK

Delivered services

PLANNING & DECISION MAKING

Opinions & concerns

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

SHARING

Community of stakeholders


Water Governance

Leve

l

Private sector

Public sector/ government

Civil society

National

Local

Global Institutions & policies

Water governance …. the processes and institutions through which decisions are made related to water (Lautze et al. (2011))


Participants in decision making

national organisation citizen •N

atio

nal

org

anis

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n

•R

egio

nal

org

anis

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n

•Lo

cal a

uth

ori

ties

•Em

erg

ency

ser

vice

s

•P

riva

te s

ecto

r

•(S

cien

tifi

c) E

xper

ts

•Tr

ain

ed v

olu

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•V

olu

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•C

itiz

en s

cien

tist

s

•C

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• National organisation

• Regional organisation

• Local authorities

• Emergency services

• Private sector

• (Scientific) Experts

• Trained volunteers

• Volunteers

• Citizen scientists

• Citizens


Communication & decision mode

social sensor technical expertise

•So

cial

sen

sor

•Li

sten

as

spec

tato

r

•H

um

an s

enso

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•Ex

pre

ss p

refe

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•D

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pre

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nce

s

•A

ggre

gate

& b

arga

in

•D

elib

erat

e &

neg

oti

ate

•Te

chn

ical

exp

ert

ise

• Social sensor

• Listen as spectator

• Human sensor

• Express preferences

• Develop preferences

• Aggregate & bargain

• Deliberate & negotiate

• Technical expertise


Authority & Power

• Individual education

• Communicative influence

• Advise/Consult

• Co-govern

• Direct authority

individual education direct authority •In

div

idu

al e

du

cati

on

•C

om

mu

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flu

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•A

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•D

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rity

© WeSenseIt Consortium 9

Democracy Cube: citizen participation in decision making on flood risk management

Based on Fung (2006)

national organisation citizen

individ. education

direct authority


The disaster cycle

Source: Alexander (2002)

(Prevention/protection)


CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL SET UP - EMPIRICAL RESULTS FOR UK & NL CASE STUDIES


Research results

Methodology • Desk research & empirical research (spring 2013) • Face-2-face, semi-structured interviews: UK (9), NL (6) preliminary; Italy pending • Interviewee groups: Local authorities, elected council members, water authorities,

emergency services, environment protection agencies, (citizens)*

* Part of separate research activity on stakeholder engagement and requirements analysis


Citizen participation during mitigation (Doncaster) Awareness raising (schools,

communities) Community meetings: • set agenda/learn from communities • change values /manage expectations (flood causes & response) Strategy consultations

Implementation of flood risk schemes: • citizens provide supporting info on location for implementation schemes (flood w. walk about & reporting)


Citizen participation during response (Doncaster)

Command along well-establihsed route, multi-agency effort & coordination Role for citizen participation in DM this phase: limited; Own home evacuation: citizens’ own decision Social media use by authorities: emergency services to counter rumours

© WeSenseIt Consortium 15

Adjusted democracy cube: citizen participation in decision making on flood risk management (Doncaster)


POTENTIAL FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION


Potential to improve citizen particiption?

Drivers for citizen participation in decision making

1. Formal requirements

Legislation (UK, NL) & changes in funding structure (UK, projects to benefit multiple stakeholder)

UK: Citizens involved in problem identification/agenda setting, but not decision making

NL: Citizens role indirect, via (non)-election of officials (accountability & responsibility); consulted if directly affected

2. Authorities’ views on community knowledge & needs

UK: appreciation by local authority (LA) & emergency services

Strong role of meetings and F2F contact with/among communities/stakeholders

Citizen observatory features to support this?

NL: more passive role (will be informed about plans and decisions)

Water Framework Directive (WRM, citizen involvement) Flood Risk Directive (FRA; info availability) Aarhus Convention (access to info, public particip.)


3. Citizens´ risk perception – perceived by authorities

UK case study

Flood wardens (senior citizens) & school children: engaged; aware of risks

LA aiming for change re. citizens’ role (‘customer care’, LA as corporate parent)

But citizens’ behavioural change:

Possible via citizen observatories? How?

Impact: importance of peer decisions during evacuation

NL case study

Low risk awareness among citizens (policy focus on prevention rather than preparation)

Paternalistic governance style of authorities, lack of trust in citizens´ resilience (impact phase)

Potential to improve citizen particiption?


IMPLICATIONS FOR WATER GOVERNANCE


Implications for Water Governance

• Citizen observatory = greater participation? It depends... Degrees of improved participation possible; Local /water authorities want to control communication paradigm with citizens within observatory • Differences in citizens’ risk perception (within/across cases)

Influence degree of participation sought by them

• Challenge to filter between voiced concerns and interests Citizen observatory not a representative mechanism

• Citizen observatory = improved governance? Possible; likely to stem from improved data collection and greater

collaboration for problem identification and policy consultation


Conclusions

• WeSenseIt citizen observatories are not a panacea for ‘good’ water governance

• They can serve to support locally-defined governance goals and objectives – and to change those goals by....

• …providing a platform a) to increase citizens’ awareness about water-related risks b) for citizens to demand and take on a stronger role in managing

water-related risks


Thank you for your attention

Dr. Uta Wehn de Montalvo

UNESCO-IHE

[email protected]

citizen observatories of water = participatory + improved … · 2013. 7. 1. · uta wehn de...

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