16 Terra et Aqua | Number 124 | September 2011 ERIK VAN SLOBBE AND KRIS LULOFS IMPLEMENTING “BUILDING WITH NATURE” IN COMPLEX GOVERNANCE SITUATIONS ABSTRACT The second aspect is the growing sense of INTRODUCTION uncertainty actors experience as a result of Two governance aspects of modern coastal the longer time horizons of projects and as The place is Hindeloopen, a small town on engineering which seem to be of importance a consequence of the integration of a growing the IJsselmeer coast in the North of the to many coastal projects all over the world are number of functions to be served by the Netherlands. It is April 2011. There is a tense considered here. Reflections on these two projects (including ecological ones). The atmosphere in the room. Inhabitants reiterate aspects are related to the context in which question is: how to deal with this uncertainty? their objections to the sand nourishment. projects take place. The first is the fragmen- Their spokesperson presents a formal protest tation of decision-making and funding. The cases presented in this paper were letter. They have seen too many failing studied in the innovation programme Building interventions to improve the coast. They do These types of projects usually involve many with Nature, which runs from 2008 till the not want to gamble on the risk of another actors who need to collaborate in one way end of 2012. It is funded from different failure. They depend for their livelihood on or another. In order to understand how these sources, amongst which the Subsidieregeling recreation and new sand may destroy collaborations are constructed, the way in Innovatie keten Water (SIW), sponsored by the swimming and surfing conditions. They call which the formation of coalitions of govern- Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and upon the authorities not to issue the required ments, NGOs and stakeholders at multiple Environment, and contributions of the permits for the sand nourishment. scales must be examined. The question is: participants in the EcoShape consortium. what are the characteristics of such coalitions? The programme receives co-funding from The representative of the Building with Nature the European Fund for Regional Development consortium emphasises that measures are To do justice to this context, two cases of and the Municipality of Dordrecht. needed because the coast must be prepared the Building with Nature (BwN) innovation The authors express special thanks to their for water level rises in the future. That doing programme are presented. First, a number colleagues Anneke Hibma and Huib de Vriend nothing is not an option for the long term. of governance-relevant characteristics of the of EcoShape for their helpful comments and He assures them that nothing will be done BwN programme are introduced. The two corrections. against the wishes of the community. cases are then described, and in the last He invites the audience to join him in section some general lessons learnt from Above: The Sand Engine pilot project (seen here in designing feasible strategies and to this end them are formulated. The cases do not form April 2011) is part of the Building with Nature he puts maps of the coastal zone on the table. a representative basis for the conclusions, programme. It is located on the North Sea coast of but the narratives serve as illustrations of the Netherlands and will form a 21.5 million m3 artificial Hesitantly the first participants begin to governance aspects in the BwN programme sandy peninsula connected to the shore and rising indicate where earlier interventions took place as a whole. above high water. and what has gone wrong. One tells of old Implementing “Building with Nature” in Complex Governance Situations 17 ERIK VAN SLOBBE experiences and planning processes (BwN) innovation programme are presented. is an Associate Professor Integrated Water dominated by professional experts are not First a number of governance-relevant Management, Centre for Water & Climate automatically trusted any longer. Also civilians characteristics of the BwN programme are Team ESS-CC (Earth System Science- do have resources (for example, political introduced. Then two cases are described and, Climate Change), Wageningen University lobby, use of media and the conduct of legal in the last section, some general lessons learnt and Research Centre and is involved in proceedings) to slow down projects or even from them are formulated. The cases do not research on adaptive water management block implementation. And, last but not least, form a representative basis for the conclusions, in relation to climate change. He teaches the absence of unequivocal political control but the narratives serve as illustrations of sustainable watershed management and on projects has become a general governance governance aspects in the BwN programme integrated water management and is characteristic, as a result of the involvement as a whole. member of the programme committee of of multiple authorities and the fragmentation the Building with Nature innovation group. of decision-making, regulations and financing GOVERNANCE ASPECTS OF THE arrangements. BUILDING WITH NATURE INNOVATION PROGRAMME KRIS LULOFS Planning and design processes of infra- Current coastal engineering practice is works at the School of Management and structural works are therefore often messy, dominated by a paradigm which is Governance, University of Twente, the with unexpected turns and changes. Project characterised by separation of ecological and Netherlands, specialising in governance initiators need to involve themselves in local socio-economic functions and by choices for and policy strategies, especially in the networks and to give due attention to hard infrastructures like dams, dikes, harbour fields of water management, climate sound communications and interactions. The fronts and dredged canals in ecosystems change and corporate social responsibility. Hindeloopen project, for instance, involves under pressure. This often leads to sub- He is a senior member of the Netherlands many governmental parties and NGOs and is optimal solutions which fit poorly with the Institute of Government and within financed by five contributors. dynamics of the natural system. Nature itself Ecoshape manages the Governance-case, plays a secondary role in the design process, which relates to the feasibility in society of TWO GOVERNANCE ASPECTS OF at the expense of long delays during project the innovation “Building with Nature”. MODERN COASTAL ENGINEERING initiation and preparation. This article considers two governance aspects of modern coastal engineering which seem to A shift of this paradigm is needed. be of importance to many coastal projects all The challenge is to find cost-effective and sand shoals and failed nourishments and over the world. The first is the fragmentation sustainable (green) development strategies. breakwaters that have disappeared in the of decision-making and funding. These types Approaches which work with nature – rather waves. The local kite surf teacher and the of projects usually involve many actors, than against it. The urgency of this quest is harbourmaster prove to possess a wealth of who need to collaborate in one way or being recognised in many countries and much experiential knowledge on prevailing wave another. In order to understand how these experimentation and innovation is going on. and wind regimes and on sediment transports. collaborations are constructed, how coalitions These are compared to model results. of governments, NGOs and stakeholders at The Dutch €30 million Building with Nature multiple scales are formed must be examined. Innovation Programme (www.ecoshape.nl) By doing this the conversation develops into a The question is: What are the characteristics aims to take advantage of the opportunities more and more enthusiastic exchange about of such coalitions? offered by nature and is grounded in modern the coast. Both the professional and the local scientific insights as, for instance, eco- experts enjoy sharing their knowledge and The second aspect is the growing sense of engineering. BwN promotes solutions that learn from each other. After two hours the uncertainty actors experience as a result of reconcile the needs of society with the atmosphere has improved so much that the longer time horizons of projects and as a concerns for the environment. An integrated appointments can be made. The BwN consequence of the integration of a growing ecosystem-based approach and stakeholder representatives promise to make a plan for a number of functions to be served by the involvement from the early stages of project coastal experiment, based on the outcome of projects (including ecological ones). The development onwards are essential features. the meeting, which will be discussed with the question is: How to deal with this uncertainty? local community again. This ecosystem-based approach boils down to: Reflections on these two questions are related 1. understand system functioning (“read” the This brief real-life history illustrates the to the context in which projects take place. ecosystem, the socio-economic system and importance of governance in the planning and Decision-making depends on local culture and the governance system), design of coastal projects in modern societies. the political situation and uncertainties are 2. plan a project or activity taking the system’s Citizens want to have a say in interventions related to the complexity of a project. present and envisaged functions