Bechauf, Ronja (2021) Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Resilience: A Case Study Research About Suitable Governance Arrangements in Urban Areas. Master thesis.
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Abstract
Lately, German communities faced natural catastrophes such as the pluvial floods in July 2021. While the Ruhr area was spared from these floods that devastated nearby regions, the event illustrated the urgency of adapting to climate change. Scaling up nature-based solutions (NBS) such as stream restoration and sustainable urban drainage systems can play a key role for building flood resilience while tackling environmental, social, and economic challenges in the region. As NBS are cross-sectoral projects addressing multiple objectives at the same time, a variety of actors need to join forces. This thesis therefore identifies suitable governance arrangements for scaling up NBS in urban areas by analyzing four case studies in the German Ruhr area. Through interviews and document analysis it investigates how stakeholders work together, allocate responsibilities, and deal with arising controversies. In the four case studies, negotiating compromises between water management, biodiversity, and recreation represents a main challenge. In the current governance arrangements, public actors initiate and lead the projects, though the research shows that stronger private involvement would be important for scaling up NBS. The governance arrangements need to be flexible enough to deal with the uncertainty around NBS and to adapt as necessary. In addition, the results underline that implementing NBS require responsible parties to collaborate despite institutional fragmentation. Close partnerships and early collaboration prove to be key. Governance arrangements that foster knowledge exchange and provide competent support can be highly valuable. Another conclusion is that stakeholders need to be willing to learn and experiment in order to implement NBS at scale.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Degree programme: | Environmental & Infrastructure Planning |
| Supervisor: | Kempenaar, J. and Horlings, L.G. |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Nov 2021 08:57 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Nov 2021 08:57 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3743 |
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