|
Country |
Basin |
Type of study |
Topic |
Context |
Process |
Major outcomes |
Reference |
| |
|
Belgium |
Flemish |
4 |
Valley development initiative, with emphasis on nature
development and flood protection; this was the initiative of one of the two main authorities,
which at first did not want to involve the other authority |
Ongoing discussions on transferring management responsibilities; limited
experience with participatory approaches |
Public involvement limited to information and consultation |
Better relations between the two main authorities |
Craps and Prins (2004), Prins et al. (2005) |
|
England and Wales |
Ribble |
4 |
Pilot basin for the implementation of the European Water Framework
Directive (WFD), focusing on water quality and ecology |
WFD pilot basin; testing of guidance from the Common Implementation
Strategy |
Establishment of a stakeholder forum, although some stakeholders were difficult to
reach; visioning workshops at local and regional levels |
Stakeholder vision for the basin; inflexibility at the national level
constrained social learning at the basin level |
Davis and Rees (2004) |
|
France |
Dordogne |
1, 3 |
A wide variety of problems related to the Dordogne river; the maintenance
of two tributaries, the Cère and the Céou |
Cooperation among the six major departments in the basin,
supported by elected politicians; strengthening of position toward
other stakeholders |
Establishment of EPIDOR, a joint river board, and organization of the
Dordogne Valley Summit with 150 participants;
Cère basin: the
project leader of the participatory process conducted research, making contacts
and building trust;
Céou basin: an external consultant was hired
and a meeting was organized |
Valley Charter, containing agreement on 370 targets; no agreement could be reached
on 32 targets; some competency struggles remain between
EPIDOR and other institutions;
Cère basin: important agreements
were reached;
Céou basin: little progress was made |
Barraqué et al. (2004) |
|
Germany |
Elbe |
5 |
Implementation of the WFD at the international and national levels;
public participation in the state of Thuringia |
Tradition in which public participation is limited to information
provision |
Newsletters and fora at different levels; limited interaction among
stakeholders |
Limited results |
Borowski (2005) |
|
Hungary |
Danube |
1, 3 |
National dialogue on water for food and the environment dealing with the
implementation of the WFD in agricultural water management |
Hungary recently joined the European Union; difficult economic situation in the
agricultural sector; tension between agricultural and environmental
organizations |
Twenty-three meetings with agricultural water management organizations,
experts, ministry representatives, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), with
presentations and discussions on topics selected by the participants |
Changes in the official Hungarian reaction to the European
Commission’s document on the WFD and the Common Agricultural
Policy; development of trust between the water management organizations and
WWF; implementation of joint pilot projects |
Ijjas and Botond (2004) |
|
Italy |
Bacchiglione |
1, 4 |
Development of sewage treatment infrastructure to protect drinking
water sources |
Local opposition to a proposal to relocate a wastewater discharge
outlet |
Creation of a technical working group with stakeholder
representation |
The problem was reframed in terms of basin-wide water quality improvement
and social consensus was achieved; the water authority does not recognize
the legitimacy of the working group and uses it instrumentally |
Massarutto et al. (2004) |
|
The Netherlands |
Meuse |
1, 2, 3 |
Integrated exploration of the Meuse by a regional branch of the
National Water Management Agency to study whether increasing peak discharge
caused by climate change can be managed by widening the river bed |
National flood protection policy to widen rivers |
Working sessions with different authorities and organized stakeholder
groups to obtain information and points of view |
Trust and understanding grew at the interpersonal level; policy and
decisions at the national level could not be discussed, which constrained social
learning |
Otter et al. (2004) |
|
Scotland |
Dee |
1, 5 |
Development of a catchment management plan and pilot projects in three
subcatchments |
The lead organization recognized early in the process that it could not
deliver environmental improvements without the knowledge and expertise of other
stakeholders |
Creation of a steering group and working groups with all major
stakeholders |
Increased capacity and confidence of stakeholders improved
relations; new management options were developed and implemented |
Unpublished manuscript |
|
Spain |
Muga |
1, 2, 3 |
Integrated assessment of water uses and water quality |
Historical: regime changes;
Recent: movement for a new water
culture with less infrastructure and more demand-based management |
Limited formal participation; participatory integrated assessment
organized by a university |
Environment and economy are no longer seen as necessarily
conflicting |
Tàbara and Saurí (2004) |
|
Spain |
Guadiana |
1, 2 |
Elaboration of the special plan for the Upper Guadiana basin to deal with
water scarcity issues |
Overexploitation of the aquifer |
Creation of a general users’ association in 1986; information and
consultation activities in 2002–2003; less formal participation
from 2004 to the present |
The special plan is still under elaboration; important changes have taken
place at the national political level since 2004 |
Maestu and Costeja (2005) |