Social Uncertainties in Social-Ecological Systems: Policy dynamics in the Dutch Delta Programme

Abstract

Policy arenas are of major importance for long-term water management. Here, decisions are made. Nevertheless, the uncertainties deriving from the policy arenas have gained very limited attention so far in future studies. We analyse longterm water management in The Netherlands, i.e. the Dutch Delta Programme to identify factors causing shocks and the system’s responses to that. We identified a participatory policy structure as a major shock. The results of this shock-system response analysis result in a means to address explicate and include social uncertainties.