The role of public participation in encouraging changes in rural land use to reduce flood risk

• Published in: Land use policy Vol. 38; pp. 637 - 645
• Main Authors: Rouillard, J.J., Reeves, A.D., Heal, K.V., Ball, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Citizen participation; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; England; Environmental policy; Flood risk; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Land; Land use change; Land utilization; Public participation; Public policy; Risk; Scotland; Social integration. Social relations. Social participation; Social learning; Social organization. Social system. Social structure; Sociology; British Isles, England; British Isles, Scotland; Social learning; Public policy; Public participation; Land use change; Flood risk; Flood; Environmental policy; Community participation; Rural area; Risk management; Land use
• ISSN: 0264-8377; 1873-5754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.01.011

•We examine a participative process between land managers and governmental agencies.•Public participation improved policy compliance.•Public participation did not lead to higher levels of cognitive and normative learning.•Public participation has a limited role in building active support for public policy.•Mechanisms for improved implementation and adaptive governance are presented.
Changes in rural land use to reduce flood risk are encouraged by governments in many countries, but they may face considerable opposition by land managers. Local participative processes are thought to help overcome opposition. This article presents an evaluation of an intensive participative process set up between land managers and governmental agencies following two severe floods in the transboundary Bowmont–Glen catchment in Scotland and England. A combination of interviews and documentary analysis is used. The research demonstrates that the participative process contributed to greater uptake of rural land use change and improved compliance with existing environmental policies. There were nevertheless low levels of social learning amongst participants. Two institutional designs for improving policy implementation are presented.