| This project investigates science-policy interactions concerning water engineering (dredging and maintenance of waterways) and coastal defencedefense in the Wadden Sea area, and focuses on tensions (and possible synergies) between the need of engineering and construction interventions and the protection of nature-related functions in a context of an increasingly dynamic and uncertain system due to climate change. The governance of safety issues in the Wadden Sea is characterised by a complex setting of multiple actors operating on different levels and scales, with diverse goals, and different knowledge requests. This network context sets specific requirements for the science-policy interface and more specifically for the process of knowledge development. In governance literature, there is much attention for the role of networks (and multi-level and multi-stakeholders governance). However, there is little attention on the specific role of knowledge in policy making and governance in such network settings. This poses an interesting question about the manner in which relevant knowledge questions are generated in such complex networks. Consequently it poses the question of where and how relevant knowledge is developed and used to enable policy-making and successful implementation. |
