Citation

Arik AD, Chionne D, Renou Y, Brochet A, Blanchet J, Kharbouche M, Ruin I, Creutin JD. Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 2023; 97: e104044.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.104044

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Flood risk governance can be a source of tension between different government actors and citizens across spatial scales. In this context, we consider the hydro-social contract (HSC) as a framework to understand the formal and informal societal constructs that aid or impede effectiveness in managing flood risk. Specifically, we used Q-methodology to understand different perspectives of flood risk governance and identify points of friction in executing the HSC. We interviewed 62 flood risk management actors from small municipalities (intra-watershed) to regional State agencies (inter-basin) in the Isère River basin of France, from which three perspectives emerged. Most participants correlated to a perspective reaffirming a commitment to integrated and holistic approaches in flood risk management. However, the second and third perspectives illustrate a governance gap due to an upward transfer of risk management responsibilities to a broader watershed approach. At the same time, municipalities remain responsible for crisis management in the advent of flooding. Our findings bring into question the right balance of scale in flood risk governance, particularly regarding hydrological boundaries that are incongruous with political jurisdictions at multiple scales.

Language: en

Keywords

EU floods directive; Flood risk governance; Grenoble Metropolitan area; Hydro-social contract; Q-method