Participation and water management

Against the backdrop of complex water management problems integrative and adaptive-oriented management approaches become increasingly important. In the EU the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive (2000) and the EC Floods Directive (2007) indicate this development. Participation is seen as crucial for the successful implementation of these directives, particularly for the development of the management plans. The guidelines on participation, however, remain vague and hamper the orientation for water management practice. Nonetheless, studies that analyse participation on a broad scale are so far rare. In this study factors and conditions for participation are identified based on a stakeholder assessment of 42 active involvement processes for the development of the first River Basin Management Plans (2009) according to the EC Water Framework Directive in Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The data was collected through an online questionnaire and was analysed on an individual and process basis. The factors and conditions were interpreted as empirically established recommendations for water management practice. By means of these recommendations the study wants to provide guidance for practitioners who are responsible for setting up participation processes in water management.