Belgian flood risk governance: Explaining the dynamics within a fragmented governance arrangement

Abstract

Despite some inertia,flood risk governance in Belgium has been fairly dynamicbetween 1995 and 2015. In this paper, change and stability during this period aredescribed and explained in the four dimensions of the Policy ArrangementApproach: actors, discourses, rules, and resources. The analysis is based on72 semi-structured stakeholder interviews and legal document analysis.Belgianflood risk governance is characterised by a high level of fragmentation.Our analysis found that this can form a barrier to change, but at the same time itcreates multiple entry points for policy innovation and thereby increases thedynamics within the governance arrangement.