Water

Making Space for Water
Building Stakeholder and Community Engagement

Project Manager

Alison Baptiste (Environment Agency)

Project Code

SD6

Timeframe

  • Arrangements for stakeholder and community engagement published in 2008

Background

A key aspect of Making space for water is to improve stakeholder relations and to involve stakeholder engagement in risk management at the local, regional and national level. The effectiveness of community partnerships and the importance of educating younger generations of the risks from flooding and coastal erosion have been recognised. To enable increased public understanding and knowledge 'user friendly' versions of key documents will be produced.

The Environment Agency will be responsible for developing arrangements for improved communication channels and engagement with stakeholders and communities, based on an understanding of how people perceive flood risk. The findings will be published in a report in 2007 that will be publicly available. Areas of work will include developing and reviewing activities such as community engagement models, particularly for diverse and vulnerable groups, and the importance of managing stakeholder expectations as to how flood risk management measures are assessed and prioritised.

In order to achieve this, it will be necessary to make a clear transition away from defending current decisions to more participation by the public in the overall decision making process. It will also be key to develop a better understanding of how people perceive and understand risk.

Page last modified: 9 December 2005
Page published: 9 December 2005

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs