Abstract
Abstract. This article analyzes the relationship between the processes of policy making, management and research and the way in which the Westerschelde estuary developed between 1985 and 2006. The Westerschelde has three core functions: economically: it makes the port of Antwerp accessible; ecologically: it generates habitats for certain unique species; and in terms of safety: its morphology helps preventing the hinterland from being flooded. We analyze how the processes of policymaking, management and analysis focused on these three aspects, and how they in turn affected the physical system of the Westerschelde. We proceed to develop a framework for evaluating the policy making, management and esearch and how this impacts the Westerschelde. We apply this framework to twenty years of policy making on, management of, and research about the Westerschelde. We conclude that policy, management and research, due to learning effects, take the dynamics of the Westerschelde into account to a greater extent than they have in the past, but there exist a real probability for old routines to return.
Highlights
The Westerschelde estuary stretches from the city of Antwerp in Flanders (Belgium) through the Dutch province of Zeeland and discharges in the North Sea
We focus on how these requirements are dealt with by the policy making, management and research systems and what the subsequent effects on the physical system are
We interviewed 30 participants representing the main actors within the policy, management and science systems, engaged in participative observation during numerous meetings of officials, stakeholders, and experts between 2003 and 2006, and analyzed news papers, policy documents and scientific research reports on the Westerschelde, and on its morphology
Summary
The Westerschelde does have various other functions, especially with regard to fisheries and recreation. A. van Buuren et al.: Understanding and managing the Westerschelde different demands are articulated, defined and refined This policy debate has been going on since the 1960’s and has been well-documented in various Ph.D. theses (cf Meijerink, 1998; Van Buuren, 2006; Gerrits 2008) and other sources (Gerrits et al, 2009; Van Buuren, 2009; Warner and Van Buuren, 2009). We interviewed 30 participants representing the main actors within the policy, management and science systems, engaged in participative observation during numerous meetings of officials, stakeholders, and experts between 2003 and 2006, and analyzed news papers, policy documents and scientific research reports on the Westerschelde, and on its morphology. We asked two independent morphological experts to review our description of the physical system and incorporated their comments in the definite version of this article
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