Collaborative spatial planning in the face of flood risk in delta cities: A policy framing perspective

Meng Meng,Marcin Dąbrowski,Yuting Tai,Dominic Stead,Faith Chan

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2019.03.006

Abstract

Integration of flood risk in spatial planning is increasingly seen as a way to enhance cities’ resilience to the growing flood hazards, albeit its operationalisation remains challenging. This study aims to explain the reasons for this difficulty through the case study of Guangzhou, a Chinese delta city that is highly vulnerable to coastal, fluvial and pluvial flooding, particularly in the context of a changing climate and rapid expansion of the urban fabric. It does so by investigating the recognition of flood risk in spatial planning and vice-versa, of spatial issues in the flood risk management field, using framing analysis. The paper reveals that the integration of flood risk concerns in spatial planning in Guangzhou remains an emerging process, gradually shifting from informal to formal activities grounded in legislation. This happens through percolation of framing discourse from the flood risk management policy to spatial planning, leading to changes in problem setting, action scripts and the prescribed governance arrangements in the planning discourse. The vagueness of governance arrangements, however, undermines the integration of flood risk management in spatial planning.

Highlights

Flood risk, substantially increased by climate change, is affecting cities across the world
This study aims to explain the reasons for this difficulty through the case study of Guangzhou, a Chinese delta city that is highly vulnerable to coastal, fluvial and pluvial flooding, in the context of a changing climate and rapid expansion of the urban fabric
The paper reveals that the integration of flood risk concerns in spatial planning in Guangzhou remains an emerging process, gradually shifting from informal to formal activities grounded in legislation

Summary

Introduction

Substantially increased by climate change, is affecting cities across the world. The rising temperature may increase the frequency of storms, precipitations and the extent of ice cap’s melting, contribute to the occurrence of pluvial, fluvial flooding and coastal flooding, and, pose a considerable threat to the safety and social-economic development by causing significant losses. Given those climate science predictions, a close collaboration across disciplines is needed to address cross-cutting flood issues It requires mainstreaming those issues into national overarching policy framework and into local policies to mobilise commitment to the climate adaptation goals (White and Richards, 2007)

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