SHEN Xiaomeng - Decision making in flood risk management in different cultural settings and its cultural justification

" Advancing Knowledge for Human Security and Development“ United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) “ Advancing human security through knowledge-based approaches to reducing vulnerability and environmental risks “ United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)

Decision Making in Flood Risk Management in Different Cultural Settings and Its Cultural Justification 3rd International Disaster and Risk Conference 30 May - 03 June 2010, Davos Xiaomeng Shen & Jürgen Pohl

Table of Content
Decision Making in Flood Risk Management
A Comparative Case Study
Dimensions of Decision Making
Conclusion

Decision Making in Flood Risk Management
What and whom are put at risk?
Whose interests are prioritised?
How are decisions made and justified?
What conflicts are caused by decision-making and how are these conflicts reconciled?
Who is involved in the decision-making process?

Case Studies Wuhan 1998 Köln, 1995

Cologne Köln

Wuhan Wuhan

Population and Economics COLOGNE Germany WUHAN China Wuhan GDP 2006: ca. 26 billion € Population: ca. 8.5 million Source: Wuhan Year Book, 2004 Cologne GDP 2004: ca. 40 billion € Population: ca. 1 million Source: Stadt Köln, 2006

Methodology
Research subjects:
Flood management agencies at different administrative levels
Environmental agency
Agency for agricultural development
Meteorological agency
NGOs etc.
Research methods:
Semi-structured interview
Participatory observation
Documentary analysis

Decision Making Principles COLOGNE, Germany WUHAN, China Interests of individuals and communities are the focus of consideration Bottom Up State’s interests are superior to community interests that are superior to individual interests Top Down Interests of individuals and communities are the focus of consideration COLOGNE, Germany State’s interests are superior to community interests that are superior to individual interests Top Down WUHAN, China

Justification of Risk Distribution
“ In China people have to live in retention areas, otherwise they can not make a living at all. …(But) once a disaster occurs and their land has to be flooded, then they will get help from all over the country. This is our culture”
(Interview, 6 December, 2006)
Water Resources Act (WHG): internalisation of risk
consensus-based decision-making process reduces tension and conflicts of actors.
COLOGNE Germany WUHAN China

Conflict of Interests and Reconciliation
Conflicts amongs stakeholders at local levels
Reconciliation through consensus finding process
Conflicts between higher decision makers and local governments as well as the local population
Reconciliation through mediation of leaders

Public Participation
“ We don’t have too much public participation in our country. This is due to our thousand year old culture. People are willing to be guided and led.”
(Interview, 6 September, 2005)
Widely practiced public participation
Slow decision-making process: “This is a general issue within the democratic and federal political system. Democracy touches its limit sometimes”- Interview, 25 October 2006
Top down element: t he Water Framework Directive poses implementation challenges

Conclusion
Different decision making principles in Wuhan and Cologne lead to different risk management strategies and conflicts of interests
Cultural condition often plays an important role in justifying the respective decision making model
No universal guideline to judge which decision making approach is more preferable to the others. It is the choice of each society within its own cultural contexts
Sacrificing some to ensure the interests of more people could be the necessary price one has to pay in a transitional country such as China
Generalisation of the research results has to be further discussed due to possible lack of representativeness of research sites
Thank you very much for your attention!

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SHEN Xiaomeng - Decision making in flood risk management in different cultural settings and its cultural justification

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