Constructing Authoritative Answers to a Latent Crisis? Strategies of Puzzling, Powering and Framing in Dutch Climate Adaptation Practices Compared

Abstract

While adaptation tends to be approached as an issue for policy analysis, framing and powering strongly interact with policy analysis (puzzling) and are at least as important for adequate outcomes in such an ambiguous context. The present contribution compares and analyzes two Dutch adaptation strategies in the Central Netherlands: (1) realizing a flood bypass channel near the town of Kampen and (2) exploring possibilities to raise the water level of Lake IJssel, enhancing the country’s freshwater storage capacity. The article concludes that in both trajectories there is an important role for policy analysis (puzzling) but the cases differ strongly in the way actors frame the intervention, their corresponding powering strategies and the policy outcomes.

Keywords:

• climate adaptation
• governance
• puzzling; powering
• framing; crisis; legitimacy

Notes

^1. Parliamentary Motion Lemstra. EK, 2004–2005, XXI-C.

^2. 39 projects were identified; eventually, for various reasons, 34 of those were started.

^3. Climate-gate refers to the released emails in November 2009 from British climate scientists at the University of East Anglia, and the succeeding media hype questioning the scientists’ trustworthiness. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climatic_Research_Unit_email_controversy

^4. Public stakeholders mainly concern provinces, municipalities and water boards. Private stakeholders mainly concern lobby organizations for specific user groups.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Arwin Van Buuren

Arwin van Buuren is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration, Erasmus University Rotterdam. His empirical research focuses on issues of climate adaptation and flood risk management and is involved in some large Dutch research projects on the governance of climate adaptation. He has published more than 40 articles in international refereed journals and co-edited books published by Routledge and IWA Press. He is co-editor of the International Journal of Water Governance.

Martinus Vink

Martijn Vink is a PhD candidate in the field of public administration. His research centers around the role of framing in puzzling and powering over climate change adaptation governance. Previously he was research fellow at the Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) and worked as policy advisor at the United Nations Development Program.

Jeroen Warner

Jeroen Warner has a background in International Relations and teaches, trains and publishes on domestic and transboundary water conflict, participatory resource management, and governance issues. Jeroen currently is Associate Professor of Disaster Studies at Wageningen University. Jeroen has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and seven books, including The Politics of Water (co-edited with Kai Wegerich), Routledge.