Three Points Approach (3PA) for urban flood risk management: A tool to support climate change adaptation through transdisciplinarity and multifunctionality

Abstract

Urban flood risk is increasing as a consequence of climate change and growing impervious surfaces. Increasing complexity of the urban context, gradual loss of tacit knowledge and decreasing social awareness are at the same time leading to inadequate choices with respect to urban flood risk management (UFRM). The European Flood Risk Directive emphasises the need for non-structural measures aimed at urban resilience and social preparedness. The Three Points Approach (3PA) provides a structure facilitating the decision making processes dealing with UFRM. It helps to accept the complexity of the urban context and promotes transdisciplinarity and multifunctionality. The 3PA introduces three domains wherein water professionals may act and where aspects valued by different stakeholders come into play: (1) technical optimisation, dealing with standards and guidelines for urban drainage systems; (2) spatial planning, making the urban area more resilient to future changing conditions; and (3) day-to-day values, enhancing awareness, acceptance and participation among stakeholders. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in The Netherlands and Denmark, we describe the complexity of decision making in practical UFRM and explain how the 3PA can be used when organising participatory processes. We introduce a theoretical framework characterising the large range of aspects involved in decision making related to UFRM and evaluate the usefulness of the 3PA in dealing with it. We conclude that the 3PA offers water managers and operators an efficient communication tool and thinking system, which helps to reduce complexity to a level suitable when organising strategy plans for UFRM and urban adaptation to climate change.

Keywords:

• complexity
• decision making
• resilience
• spatial planning
• process management
• water aspects
• social values

Acknowledgements

Part of this work was conducted during an internship at TAUW B.V. in The Netherlands, and we gratefully acknowledge the logistic support and continuous encouragement for pursuing the topic received from Lisbet Timan, Roel Valkman and Andre Oldenkamp. The 35 interviewees involved during this study are thanked for the time they have dedicated to help our research, and especially Kees Aardenburg, Han van Eijnsbergen, Mark Ruish and Ellen Kelder (from the municipalities of Dordrecht and Egmond aan Zee) and Birgit Paludan and Lina Nyboe (from Greve municipality) are thanked for facilitating the interview campaigns conducted in the cities and providing information of various kinds. Finally, we thank a range of water professionals and colleagues for contributing with factual information and personal perspectives on UFRM and the 3PA: Jens Jørgen Linde, Nanna Hoeegh Nielsen and Soeren Feiberg-Rasmussen (PH-Consult, Denmark), Ole Mark (DHI, Denmark) and Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen (formerly COWI, Denmark, now DTU Environment).