Residents and flood risk management: two worlds apart?

Although flood risk is usually framed as a physical problem, there is also an important socio-spatial side to the issue, such as urbanization in floodplains, the increasing share of sealed land, or the development of real estate values, which are influenced by a large number of individual decisions (such as location choice, or private flood protection measures). Flood risk management is shifting towards including these elements through responsibilization of spatial planners and civil society. However, since flood risk management in Belgium is strongly government-led and solutions were usually confined within the boundaries of the water system itself, there is little knowledge on how to do this. Therefore, this paper looks into the point of view of citizens, more specifically residents of flood-prone areas, based on a survey (n=183) in the Dender basin (Flanders, Belgium). The paper first discusses three themes: the relation of residents to their residence and their willingness to move, their sense of responsibility, and potential seeds of self-initiative. The survey shows that residents are very much attached to their homes, but at the same time take very little action. Remarkable is that even though Belgium has a relatively weak tradition in spatial planning, they place responsibility for living in flood-prone areas on the government, and therefore they feel entitled to public protection. The paper then reflects on how formal flood risk management and society interact, and how this reciprocal relation can be more fruitful.

Jaar van publicatie:2015

Toegankelijkheid:Closed