WP6 Deliverables
Task 6.1 Stakeholder Mapping
(Coordinated by Hamburg Port Authority, Germany)
This document presents a list of stakeholder groups of the IMMERSE partner estuaries as well as groups of interest in other North Sea Region estuaries. An overview of relevant organisations including their main area of interests is provided and can be used for organising a meeting or event. Due to data security rules no addresses can be shown, but they can be provided by the responsible authors of the document.
Task 6.2 Improve stakeholder integration by analyzing and discussing past experiences
(Coordinated by Hamburg Port Authority, Germany)
In addition to being complex and natural environments, estuaries can also be subject to complicated management structures, resulting in the need to consider diverse stakeholder interests. The complexity of estuaries makes it difficult to find acceptance for solutions that are sustainable, i.e. at the same time socially, economically and environmentally feasible.
Two steps were applied to obtain experiences and information that have been used as the basis for how to improve stakeholder integration: 1) Acquiring experiences of previous stakeholder integration activities, and 2) Discussions among IMMERSE partners and with stakeholders.
Task 6.3 Analysis of public confidence in scientific results related to northern European estuaries
(Coordinated by Hamburg Port Authority, Germany)
European estuaries often are heavily used and are at the same also important nature areas. Therefore, conflicts can arise between the different users. Scientific studies can mediate in these conflict situations by providing a factual basis for discussion. However, at the Elbe estuary scientific studies have themselves become the subject of ongoing controversy. What is the reason for the skepticism and mistrust in these scientific studies? Does it also occur at other estuaries, for example the Humber – or even globally? This study provides answers, as the authors investigated the background for existing mistrust of scientific results by conducting literature and media research, and carried out stakeholder interviews at the Elbe and Humber estuaries. The report presents results on the reasons of mistrust as well as several recommendations on how it may be overcome - for estuary managers but also for scientists.
Task 6.4 Development of interactive communication tools
(Coordinated by Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works, Belgium)
AnArcGIS StoryMaps collection was created as an interactive communication tool to inform and engage stakeholders in the measures being developed. The collection contains 8 separate StoryMaps; one general to introduce the project, one relating to the pressures being considered and 6 for each of the IMMERSE estuaries. Using a lot of visual elements and interactivity, stakeholders, experts and other estuary managers can discover the solutions being developed and learn more about the project.
Discover the IMMERSE StoryMapshere.
Task 6.5 Stakeholder commitment building actions for the different measures
As part of the stakeholder engagement activities of IMMERSE, the partnership kept track of the stakeholder commitment building actions for the different measures. These actions e.g. interviews, presentations, workshops, etc. are reported internally.
The aim of stakeholder meetings was to involve stakeholders as early as possible in the development of measures to increase their support for lasting results. Each measure and partner applied a specific approach targeting their relevant groups.
Task 6.6 Develop a long term nature perspective for the Scheldt estuary with stakeholders
(Coordinated by Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands)
In the Scheldt estuary there is a very complex government situation, with sometimes strongly opposing stakeholder views. In this situation the governments that are collaborating within the Flemish Dutch Scheldt Committee face ecological goals that are very difficult to reach, especially when taking in account the long-term development of the estuary. Therefore, the Flemish Dutch Scheldt Committee wishes to develop a ‘perspective for nature on the long term’, which goes beyond the legal obligations within the N2000 framework. Such ‘perspective’ requires proper insight on the actual state of the estuary in such a way that there is agreement on the facts. The initiative was taken to make a joint analysis of the natural system of the estuary, with the most important stakeholders and experts.
Many governments and interest groups accepted the invitation. In 2017, as the first step, a plan of approach was accepted by all participants. This plan described the process of joint fact finding. During the spring of 2018 the system analysis started. During numerous sessions a common understanding of the natural state of the estuary was developed. This system analysis was finalized in the first months of 2019 and then presented to the Flemish Dutch Scheldt Committee. It describes the state and trends of the natural system, as well as possible explanations for these observations. The subject is the entire estuary in between the embankments, influenced by the tide, from the weir at Gent up until the imaginary line between Vlissingen and Breskens.
The document focuses on four themes:
- Hydrodynamics and morphology
- Water quality
- Habitats
- Flora and fauna
A summary document in English concisely describes the findings relevant for these four themes.
Task 6.7 Develop a locally coordinated solution to flooding with stakeholders in Holbækfjord
(Holbæk Municipality, Denmark)
This report summarises the efforts of Holbæk municipality in the development of a locally coordinated solution for flooding with stakeholders in the Holbækfjord. The report is written as a SUCCES-story format to showcase the municipalities participation to the IMMERSE project and commitment for helping local stakeholders in designing, developing and implementing flood protection measures.
Task 6.8 Survey on stakeholder acceptance of measures
(Coordinated by Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works, Belgium)
As part of the stakeholder engagement activities of IMMERSE, surveys for each of the IMMERSE solutions being developed were created and shared with involved stakeholders. The aim was to measure the delivery of project results on stakeholder acceptance of measures. The surveys were designed to askabout theacceptance of certain measures before the IMMERSE project and after.The results of the surveys are reported internally.