Power and policy in floodplain management, drawing on research in Alberta, Canada

Floodplain management policy implementation and change involves a range of actors and opportunities for power to be exercised. Considering four conceptualizations of power envisioned by Dahl, Bachrach & Baratz, Lukes, and Emerson, this paper explores the actors and instances where power emerges in floodplain management policy implementation and change, using Alberta, Canada, as our focus. We consider which conceptualization is most reflective of the Alberta context. We conclude that all four views of behaviour are relevant here, with some power dynamics between actors more complex than others. Further, these dynamics change over time, and therefore the trade-offs to be made also change. Understanding power relations allows for clearer identification of these trade-offs and, therefore, the potential winners and losers in floodplain management policy. We describe strategies for assisting in this process of managing power relations, including information sharing, transparency and actively managing the policy process.

©IWA Publishing 2018. The definitive peer-reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Water Policy, Volume 20, Issue 1, pp. 21-36, 2018, DOI: 10.2166/wp.2017.043 and is available at www.iwapublishing.com.