An overview of the challenges for public participation in river basin management and planning

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the challenges for public participation in river basin management and planning and to develop a set of guidelines for a successful public consultation.

Design/methodology/approach

The current paper describes and analyses the requirements and expectations regarding public participation in river basin planning and identifies some obstacles and recommendations for the process.

Findings

The research carried out identified a wide range of challenges for the practical implementation of the public involvement in river basin planning as stated in the Water Framework Directive. The involvement of the public is critical for a successful implementation of the Water Framework Directive. Hence, public participation is greatly emphasised in the Directive. Article 14 of the Water Framework Directive requires that Member States encourage involvement of all stakeholders into the implementation process, especially into the River Basin Management Planning.

Practical implications

The paper may assist river basin managers to design, perform and evaluate the public consultation of river basin management plans.

Originality/value

The paper analyses the obstacles for the public consultation as part of the Water Framework Directive implementation. Based on the analysis the paper defines a range of guidelines and recommendations for the practical consultation design. This work is original, as no such analysis has been carried out before.

Citation

Sten Hansen, H. and Mäenpää, M. (2008), "An overview of the challenges for public participation in river basin management and planning", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 67-84. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777830810840372