Towards Interactive Flood Governance: changing approaches in Dutch flood policy

Abstract
In the course of history, flooding of rivers and the sea brought misery to humanity. Low lying delta’s of large rivers like Bangladesh, New Orleans, the Nile delta or the Netherlands belong to the most vulnerable for flood disasters. Since ancient times people pondered about strategies to avoid flood risks. During last decades of raising awareness about climate change, thinking about dealing with flood risks changed considerably in the Netherlands. The conceptual turnover suits in a broader development towards integrated and interactive water management. Here ‘fighting against’ turned to ‘living with’ water. The way the new perspectives on flood management in the Netherlands developed, is the central theme of this paper. How does thinking about flood management evolve? An analysis of the different policy visions and documents shows the incremental change. Interviews with decision-makers and professional water managers confirms that it seems to be the time now for a transition towards sustainable, or interactive, flood management.