Abstract
Decision-makers face a particular challenge in planning for climate adaptation. The complexity of climate change's likely impacts, such as increased flooding, has widened the scope of information necessary to take action. This is particularly the case in valuable low-lying coastal regions, which host many competing interests, and where there is a growing need to draw from varied fields in the risk-based management of flooding. The rising scrutiny over science's ability to match expectations of policy actors has called for the integration of stakeholder and scientific knowledge domains. Focusing on the Broads — the United Kingdom's largest protected wetland — this study looked to assess future flood risk and consider potential adaptation responses in a collaborative approach. Interviews and surveys with local stakeholders accompanied the development of a hydraulic model in an iterative participatory design, centred on a scientist-stakeholder workshop. Knowledge and perspectives were shared on processes driving risk in the Broads, as well as on the implications of adaptation measures, allowing for their prioritisation. The research outcomes highlight not only the challenges that scientist-stakeholder integrated assessments of future flood risk face, but also their potential to lead to the production of useful information for decision-making.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 50-57 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Environmental Science & Policy |
Volume | 103 |
Early online date | 5 Nov 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2020 |
Keywords
- Climate change adaptation
- DECISION-MAKING
- ENGAGEMENT
- Flood modelling
- Flood risk management
- Integrated assessment
- MANAGEMENT
- PARTICIPATION
- PROJECTS
- Scientist-stakeholder engagement
Profiles
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Roger Few
- School of Global Development - Professorial Research Fellow
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research - Member
- Water Security Research Centre - Member
- Area Studies - Member
- Climate Change - Member
- Global Environmental Justice - Member
- Health and Disease - Member
- ClimateUEA - Steering Committee Member
Person: Research & Analogous, Research Group Member, Research Centre Member
-
Helen He
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research - Associate Professor Hydrology & Climate Change Rsch
- School of Environmental Sciences - Associate Professor Hydrology & Climate Change Rsch
- Water Security Research Centre - Member
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- Geosciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
-
Kevin Hiscock
- School of Environmental Sciences - Professor of Environmental Sciences
- Water Security Research Centre - Member
- Geosciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Member, Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research