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Abstract
This book addresses the complex institutional dimensions to restoring floodplains. Despite the recent surge of interest in restoring floodplains among policy and research circles, as well as in the public domain, very few schemes for restoring functional floodplains have been put into practice in Europe to date. The book explores the reasons behind this discrepancy between interest and applications with an original, comparative analysis of the institutional drivers and constraints of floodplain restoration in Europe. It explains why so few projects have been successfully implemented, how recent policy shifts are creating new opportunities for floodplain restoration and what lessons for policy development and project management can be drawn from in-depth analysis of past and present schemes. At a time of rapidly growing interest in restoring floodplains as an important component of efforts to improve flood protection, enhance riparian habitats, strengthen catchment management, raise water quality and pursue integrated rural development, the book critically appraises the relationship between macro-level policy development and enforcement and micro-level project design and implementation.
The book begins with two chapters setting out the case for floodplain restoration and assessing the relevant drivers and constraints of EU policy. The next three chapters analyse the policy contexts of floodplain restoration in France, Germany and Britain, addressing the principal drivers and constraints in the fields of water management, flood protection, nature conservation, spatial planning and agriculture. This is followed by six case studies of schemes to restore floodplains, divided between early schemes of the mid-1990s (Rheinvorland-Sud on the Upper Rhine, Bourret on the Garonne and the Long Eau project in England) and ongoing schemes of today (Lenzen on the Elbe, La Basse on the Seine and the Parrett Catchment Project). The book concludes by drawing lessons from the principal findings and providing recommendations for ways of developing policy and designing projects for restoring floodplains in the future.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contents | 5 | ||
| About the contributors | 10 | ||
| Foreword: European Commission, Directorate General for Research | 13 | ||
| Foreword: European Centre for River Restoration | 17 | ||
| Preface | 19 | ||
| List of Abbreviations | 21 | ||
| Part A INTRODUCING FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 25 | ||
| Chapter 1: Institutional dimensions of floodplain restoration in Europe: an introduction | 27 | ||
| 1.1 FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION AS A SOCIETAL CHALLENGE | 27 | ||
| 1.2 INSTITUTIONAL COMPLEXITIES OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 30 | ||
| 1.3 STATE OF THE ART AND PURPOSE OF THE BOOK | 32 | ||
| 1.4 THE RESEARCH CONTEXT OF THE BOOK | 34 | ||
| 1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK | 35 | ||
| 1.6 REFERENCES | 37 | ||
| Chapter 2: Floodplains in Europe: the case for restoration | 40 | ||
| 2.1 INTRODUCTION | 40 | ||
| 2.2 THE FLOBAR2 PROJECT AND THE INTERDISCIPLINARITYOF FLOODPLAIN RESEARCH | 41 | ||
| 2.3 EUROPEAN FLOODPLAINS | 46 | ||
| 2.3.1 The natural status of European floodplains | 47 | ||
| 2.3.2 Patterns in floodplain ecology | 48 | ||
| 2.3.3 Threats to European river corridors | 49 | ||
| 2.4 THE CASE FOR RESTORATION | 53 | ||
| 2.4.1 Floodwater storage | 53 | ||
| 2.4.2 Groundwater recharge | 54 | ||
| 2.4.3 Timber production | 54 | ||
| 2.4.4 Pollution control | 55 | ||
| 2.5 THE PRACTICE OF RESTORATION: REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS | 56 | ||
| 2.5.1 The need for, and limitations on, environmental flows | 56 | ||
| 2.5.2 The need for, and opposition to, river dynamics | 57 | ||
| 2.5.3 The need for, and arguments against, reference systems | 59 | ||
| 2.6 CONCLUSIONS | 62 | ||
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 63 | ||
| 2.7 REFERENCES | 63 | ||
| Part B POLICY CONTEXTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 69 | ||
| Chapter 3: Flood risk management and floodplain restoration in Europe: recent policy developments at EU level | 71 | ||
| 3.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND | 71 | ||
| 3.2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF A EUROPEAN FLOOD DIRECTIVE | 72 | ||
| 3.3 THE PROPOSAL FOR A FLOODS DIRECTIVE | 74 | ||
| 3.4 FUTURE STEPS | 75 | ||
| 3.5 LINKAGE OF EU FLOODS POLICY TO OTHER POLICY AREAS | 75 | ||
| 3.5.1 EU water policy - The Water Framework Directive | 76 | ||
| 3.5.2 Common agricultural and rural development policies | 77 | ||
| 3.5.3 EU nature conservation policy | 79 | ||
| 3.5.4 Urban and regional planning | 80 | ||
| 3.5.5 Integrated coastal zone management | 81 | ||
| 3.5.6 Funding flood protection | 82 | ||
| 3.5.7 EU research policy | 82 | ||
| 3.6 CONCLUSIONS | 83 | ||
| 3.7 REFERENCES | 84 | ||
| Chapter 4: Policy innovations in the aftermath of a disaster: contexts of floodplain restoration in Germany | 87 | ||
| 4.1 INTRODUCTION | 87 | ||
| 4.2 POLICY STATEMENTS ON FLOODPLAINS AND THEIR RESTORATION | 89 | ||
| 4.3 PRINCIPAL INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES RELEVANT TO FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 92 | ||
| 4.3.1 Flood protection and water management | 94 | ||
| 4.3.2 Regional and local land-use planning | 97 | ||
| 4.3.3 Nature conservation | 99 | ||
| 4.3.4 Agriculture and forestry | 102 | ||
| 4.4 FUNDING PROGRAMMES AND ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS | 102 | ||
| 4.5 FORMS OF COOPERATION, CONSULTATION AND EDUCATION | 103 | ||
| 4.6 PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS TARGETED AT FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 105 | ||
| 4.7 CONCLUSIONS: DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 106 | ||
| 4.8 REFERENCES | 108 | ||
| LAWS | 110 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 110 | ||
| Chapter 5: Floodplain restoration in the context of river basin management: policy development and implementation in France | 112 | ||
| 5.1 INTRODUCTION | 112 | ||
| 5.2 POLICY STATEMENTS ON FLOODPLAINS AND THEIR RESTORATION | 113 | ||
| 5.3 PRINCIPAL INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES RELEVANT TO FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 117 | ||
| 5.3.1 Water management | 118 | ||
| 5.3.2 Flood risk management | 123 | ||
| 5.3.3 Regional planning | 126 | ||
| 5.3.4 Nature conservation | 128 | ||
| 5.3.5 Agriculture and forestry | 131 | ||
| 5.4 ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS AND FUNDING PROGRAMMES | 132 | ||
| 5.5 FORMS OF COOPERATION, CONSULTATION AND EDUCATION | 134 | ||
| 5.6 PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS TARGETED AT FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 135 | ||
| 5.7 CONCLUSIONS: DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 137 | ||
| 5.8 REFERENCES | 139 | ||
| LAWS | 141 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 141 | ||
| Chapter 6: Policy shifts and delivery gaps: contexts of floodplain restoration in England and Wales | 143 | ||
| 6.1 INTRODUCTION | 143 | ||
| 6.2 POLICY STATEMENTS ON FLOODPLAINS AND THEIR RESTORATION | 145 | ||
| 6.3 PRINCIPAL INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES RELEVANT TO FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 147 | ||
| 6.3.1 Flood defence and water management | 147 | ||
| Organisational responsibilities | 147 | ||
| Policies and planning instruments | 150 | ||
| 6.3.2 Land-use planning | 153 | ||
| 6.3.3 Nature conservation | 155 | ||
| 6.3.4 Agriculture and forestry | 157 | ||
| 6.4 FUNDING PROGRAMMES AND ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS | 159 | ||
| Flood protection | 159 | ||
| Nature conservation and agriculture | 161 | ||
| 6.5 FORMS OF COOPERATION, CONSULTATION AND EDUCATION | 162 | ||
| 6.6 PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS TARGETED AT FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 163 | ||
| 6.7 CONCLUSION: DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 165 | ||
| 6.8 REFERENCES | 167 | ||
| LAWS | 170 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 171 | ||
| Part C EARLY GENERATION SCHEMES OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 173 | ||
| Chapter 7: The restoration of a floodplain on the Upper Rhine: managing the interface of large-scale policy and small-scale implementation | 175 | ||
| 7.1 INTRODUCTION | 175 | ||
| 7.2 THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT AND USE OF THE RIVER | 176 | ||
| 7.2.1 Physical characteristics | 176 | ||
| 7.2.2 Use and management of the river | 177 | ||
| 7.3 THE POLICY CONTEXT | 178 | ||
| 7.3.1 National policy context | 178 | ||
| 7.3.2 Initiatives in the catchment | 179 | ||
| Growing flood risk awareness | 179 | ||
| Rising concern for water quality and flood risk management | 179 | ||
| Local initiatives | 180 | ||
| 7.4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT | 180 | ||
| 7.4.1 Purpose and objectives | 181 | ||
| 7.4.2 Origins and development | 181 | ||
| 7.4.3 Physical interventions | 183 | ||
| 7.4.4 Organisation and actor involvement | 184 | ||
| 7.4.5 Instruments used | 185 | ||
| 7.5 PRINCIPAL DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON THE PROJECT | 186 | ||
| 7.5.1 Drivers | 186 | ||
| Flood protection | 186 | ||
| Water management | 187 | ||
| Nature conservation | 187 | ||
| Forestry | 188 | ||
| Spatial planning | 189 | ||
| 7.5.2 Constraints | 189 | ||
| 7.6 SELECTED EMBLEMATIC ISSUES | 190 | ||
| 7.6.1 Windows of opportunity for the initiation phase | 191 | ||
| Atmosphere of change | 191 | ||
| Substantial funding | 191 | ||
| 7.6.2 Exploiting opportunities | 192 | ||
| Concepts in reserve | 192 | ||
| Overcoming fragmentation: the role of the project group | 192 | ||
| 7.6.3 Professional consensus instead of public support | 194 | ||
| 7.6.4 Many cents make a dollar: small-scale measures and their evaluation | 195 | ||
| 7.7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS | 196 | ||
| 7.7.1 Policy development | 197 | ||
| 7.7.2 Project management | 197 | ||
| 7.8 REFERENCES | 198 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 199 | ||
| Chapter 8: Restoring an alluvial forest and ancient meander on the Garonne: linking environmental protection to fishing and recreation | 201 | ||
| 8.1 INTRODUCTION | 201 | ||
| 8.2 THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT AND USE OF THE RIVER | 202 | ||
| 8.2.1 Physical characteristics | 202 | ||
| 8.2.2 Use and management of the river | 203 | ||
| 8.3 THE POLICY CONTEXT | 204 | ||
| 8.3.1 National policy context | 204 | ||
| 8.3.2 Initiatives in the catchment | 205 | ||
| 8.4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT | 206 | ||
| 8.4.1 Purpose and objectives | 206 | ||
| 8.4.2 Origins and development | 207 | ||
| 8.4.3 Current status | 208 | ||
| 8.4.4 Physical interventions | 209 | ||
| 8.4.5 Organisation and actor involvement | 209 | ||
| Local level | 209 | ||
| Regional level | 210 | ||
| Departmental level | 210 | ||
| 8.4.6 Instruments used | 210 | ||
| 8.5 PRINCIPAL DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON THE PROJECT | 212 | ||
| 8.5.1 Drivers | 212 | ||
| Fish reproduction | 212 | ||
| Ecological quality | 213 | ||
| Forestry | 213 | ||
| 8.5.2 Constraints | 213 | ||
| Lack of financial and organisational resources | 213 | ||
| Missing integration of flood protection | 214 | ||
| Lack of support by the Water Agency | 214 | ||
| Plurality of actors | 214 | ||
| 8.6 SELECTED EMBLEMATIC ISSUES | 214 | ||
| 8.6.1 The property rights aspects of floodplain restoration | 215 | ||
| ‘Domaines Publics Fluvials’ and the role of the DDEs | 215 | ||
| Consequences of land leasing | 215 | ||
| The special case of Bourret | 216 | ||
| 8.6.2 Different perceptions of the ‘right’ restoration measures | 216 | ||
| Restoration of floodplain forest | 217 | ||
| Reconnection of the old meander | 218 | ||
| 8.6.3 Institutional weakness and adaptive management | 219 | ||
| Dependence on local conditions | 219 | ||
| Lack of adequate instruments | 219 | ||
| Lack of adequate institutional support | 220 | ||
| 8.7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS | 221 | ||
| 8.7.1 Policy development | 221 | ||
| 8.7.2 Project development | 222 | ||
| 8.8 REFERENCES | 223 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 224 | ||
| Chapter 9: The Long Eau floodplain restoration project: “flying by the seat of your pants” | 225 | ||
| 9.1 INTRODUCTION | 225 | ||
| 9.2 THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT AND USE OF THE RIVER | 227 | ||
| 9.2.1 Physical characteristics of the river | 227 | ||
| 9.2.2 Use and management of the river | 228 | ||
| 9.3 THE POLICY CONTEXT | 229 | ||
| 9.3.1 National policy context | 229 | ||
| 9.3.2 Initiatives in the catchment | 230 | ||
| 9.4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT | 231 | ||
| 9.4.1 Purpose and objectives | 231 | ||
| 9.4.2 Origins, development and current status | 232 | ||
| 9.4.3 Physical interventions | 235 | ||
| 9.4.4 Organisation and actor involvement | 236 | ||
| 9.4.5 Instruments used | 238 | ||
| 9.5 PRINCIPAL DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON THE PROJECT | 240 | ||
| 9.5.1 Drivers | 240 | ||
| 9.5.2 Constraints | 241 | ||
| 9.6 SELECTED EMBLEMATIC ISSUES | 241 | ||
| 9.6.1 The right people in the right place at the right time | 241 | ||
| 9.6.2 Organisational settings conducive to innovation and implementation | 243 | ||
| 9.6.3 Missed opportunities for dissemination at the time | 244 | ||
| 9.6.4 Limitations to duplicating the scheme today | 244 | ||
| 9.7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS | 246 | ||
| 9.7.1 Project management | 247 | ||
| 9.7.2 Policy development | 248 | ||
| 9.8 REFERENCES | 249 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 250 | ||
| Part D NEW GENERATION SCHEMES OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION | 251 | ||
| Chapter 10: The relocation of a dyke on the River Elbe: floodplain management as a challenge for intersectoral and multilevel coordination | 253 | ||
| 10.1 INTRODUCTION | 253 | ||
| 10.2 THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT AND USE OF THE RIVER | 254 | ||
| 10.2.1 Physical characteristics | 254 | ||
| 10.2.2 Use and management of the river catchment | 256 | ||
| Shipping | 257 | ||
| Agriculture | 257 | ||
| Industry | 257 | ||
| Flood protection | 258 | ||
| Nature conservation | 258 | ||
| 10.3 THE POLICY CONTEXT | 259 | ||
| 10.3.1 National policy context | 259 | ||
| 10.3.2 Initiatives in the catchment | 260 | ||
| 10.4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT | 262 | ||
| 10.4.1 Purpose and objectives | 262 | ||
| 10.4.2 Origins and development | 263 | ||
| 10.4.3 Current status | 266 | ||
| 10.4.4 Physical interventions | 266 | ||
| Relocation of the dyke on the River Elbe | 266 | ||
| Planting a floodplain forest | 267 | ||
| Establishment of a year-round grazing system | 268 | ||
| 10.4.5 Organisation and actor involvement | 268 | ||
| 10.4.6 Instruments used | 270 | ||
| Funding | 270 | ||
| Protected areas | 270 | ||
| Technical flood protection measures | 271 | ||
| Rural development and agri-environmental instruments | 271 | ||
| Land consolidation procedure | 271 | ||
| 10.5 PRINCIPAL DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON THE PROJECT | 272 | ||
| 10.5.1 Driving forces | 272 | ||
| 10.5.2 Constraints | 273 | ||
| 10.6 SELECTED EMBLEMATIC ISSUES | 275 | ||
| 10.6.1 Managing uncertainty: enrolling sciences and reproducing nature | 275 | ||
| 10.6.2 Managing complex networks: horizontal and vertical coordination as a challenge for floodplain restoration | 277 | ||
| 10.6.3 Managing complex formal procedures: fundraising and planning as a challenge for floodplain restoration | 279 | ||
| 10.7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS | 279 | ||
| 10.7.1 Policy development | 280 | ||
| 10.7.2 Project management | 281 | ||
| 10.8 REFERENCES | 282 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 284 | ||
| Chapter 11: Restoring floodplains on the River Seine: combining flood prevention with regional development | 285 | ||
| 11.1 INTRODUCTION | 285 | ||
| 11.2 THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT AND USE OF THE RIVER | 286 | ||
| 11.2.1 Physical characteristics | 286 | ||
| 11.2.2 Use and management of the river | 288 | ||
| 11.3 THE POLICY CONTEXT | 289 | ||
| 11.3.1 National policy context | 289 | ||
| 11.3.2 Initiatives in the catchment | 290 | ||
| 11.4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT | 291 | ||
| 11.4.1 Purpose and objectives | 291 | ||
| 11.4.2 Origins and development | 292 | ||
| 11.4.3 Current status | 293 | ||
| 11.4.4 Physical interventions | 293 | ||
| 11.4.5 Organisation and actor involvement | 294 | ||
| Government ministries | 294 | ||
| Departmental services | 295 | ||
| Interdepartmental organisations | 295 | ||
| Région Ile-de-France | 296 | ||
| Municipalities and landowners | 296 | ||
| 11.4.6 Instruments used | 296 | ||
| 11.5 PRINCIPAL DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON THE PROJECT | 297 | ||
| 11.5.1 Drivers | 297 | ||
| Risk awareness and risk analysis | 297 | ||
| Nature protection policy | 298 | ||
| Quarry industry | 298 | ||
| Political support | 298 | ||
| Research | 299 | ||
| 11.5.2 Constraints | 299 | ||
| Funding and maintenance | 299 | ||
| Low involvement of the Water Agency | 299 | ||
| Archaeological sites | 300 | ||
| Local objections | 300 | ||
| 11.6 SELECTED EMBLEMATIC ISSUES | 300 | ||
| 11.6.1 Multi-level decision-making and complex institutional juxtapositions | 300 | ||
| 11.6.2 Geographies of compensation | 303 | ||
| 11.6.3 Connecting biodiversity benefits to flood control policy | 305 | ||
| 11.7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS | 306 | ||
| 11.7.1 Policy development | 306 | ||
| 11.7.2 Project management | 307 | ||
| 11.8 REFERENCES | 307 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 309 | ||
| Chapter 12: The Parrett Catchment Project: between rhetoric and reality | 310 | ||
| 12.1 INTRODUCTION | 310 | ||
| 12.2 THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT AND USE OF THE CATCHMENT | 312 | ||
| 12.2.1 Physical characteristics | 312 | ||
| 12.2.2 Use and management of the catchment | 313 | ||
| 12.3 THE POLICY CONTEXT | 314 | ||
| 12.3.1 National policy context | 314 | ||
| 12.3.2 Initiatives in the catchment | 315 | ||
| 12.4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT | 317 | ||
| 12.4.1 Purpose and objectives | 317 | ||
| 12.4.2 Origins, development and current status | 317 | ||
| 12.4.3 Physical interventions | 320 | ||
| 12.4.4 Organisation and actor involvement | 321 | ||
| 12.4.5 Instruments used | 322 | ||
| 12.5 PRINCIPAL DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS | 324 | ||
| 12.5.1 Drivers | 324 | ||
| 12.5.2 Constraints | 325 | ||
| 12.6 SELECTED EMBLEMATIC ISSUES | 325 | ||
| 12.6.1 The price of consensus | 326 | ||
| 12.6.2 Playing the policy game | 329 | ||
| 12.6.3 Promoting policy delivery | 332 | ||
| 12.7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS | 334 | ||
| 12.7.1 Project management | 335 | ||
| 12.7.2 Policy development | 336 | ||
| 12.8 REFERENCES | 337 | ||
| INTERVIEWS | 338 | ||
| Part E CONCLUSIONS | 339 | ||
| Chapter 13: Coping with complexity: lessons for policy development, project management and research | 341 | ||
| 13.1 INTRODUCTION | 341 | ||
| 13.2 CROSS-CUTTING ANALYSIS OF DRIVERS AND CONSTRAINTS | 343 | ||
| 13.2.1 Constraints | 343 | ||
| Unfavourable forms of land use and ownership | 344 | ||
| Inertia of the traditional flood defence and river regulation regimes | 344 | ||
| Ineffective policy and planning instruments | 345 | ||
| Adverse economic incentives | 345 | ||
| Difficulties in coordination | 346 | ||
| Entrenched practices and mindsets | 346 | ||
| 13.2.2 New drivers | 346 | ||
| Nature conservation | 348 | ||
| Flood protection | 348 | ||
| Water protection | 349 | ||
| Land-use planning | 349 | ||
| Agriculture | 349 | ||
| Rural development | 350 | ||
| Emergent window of opportunity | 350 | ||
| 13.3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION PROJECTS | 351 | ||
| 13.3.1 Early generation schemes | 352 | ||
| 13.3.2 New generation schemes | 353 | ||
| 13.4 THE PERSISTENT POLICY DELIVERY GAP | 355 | ||
| 13.5 IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 357 | ||
| 13.6 CONCLUSIONS | 359 | ||
| 13.7 REFERENCES | 361 | ||
| Index | 363 |