IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Generally, Flood Risk Management (FRM) has moved away from traditional approaches that solely relied on centralised decision-making and structural flood defences. Instead, there is now an adoption of integrated FRM measures that involve various actors and stakeholders. This new approach emphasizes people-centred approaches and implies that communities will be more involved in FRM. It is also suggested that effective FRM can influence resilience through meaningful community involvement. Recent FRM projects in England especially have thus had increasing community involvement. Groundwater flooding has gotten little attention in literature compared to overland flooding despite its unique qualities, such as its persistence for weeks or months, slow onset, and near-invisibility. There have also been few studies on how effective community involvement may improve community resilience to groundwater flooding. This paper focuses on a case study of an FRM project in England. Buckinghamshire Council is leading Project Groundwater, which is one of 25 programmes by England’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. DEFRA awarded Buckinghamshire Council and other councils 150 million to collaborate with communities and implement innovative methods to increase resilience to groundwater flooding. This paper proposes a new paradigm for effective community engagement and involvement developed through a narrative literature review. The study examines community engagement in Project Groundwater using interviews with key government officials and local communities engaged. The outcomes of the study will inform community involvement activities in Project Groundwater and may shape DEFRA policies and guidelines for community engagement in FRM.