Cross-scale interactions in flood risk management : A case study from Rovaniemi, Finland

• Published in: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
• Main Author: Räsänen, Aleksi
• Other Authors: Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria), Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Urban Environmental Policy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Scientific Publ. Co 2021
• Subjects: 1172 Environmental sciences; Adaptive cycle; Cross-scale interactions; Flood defense; Flood risk management; Panarchy; Structuration; COMMUNITY RESILIENCE; ADAPTIVE GOVERNANCE; DISASTER RISK; COMPLEXITY; RIVER; Rovaniemi; Lapland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/328275

Cross-scale interactions affect resilience in a wide array of social systems such as flood risk management, but it has been argued that studies of such interactions remain limited. Based on qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, and policy document analysis, I employed the panarchy framework in an analysis of temporal changes and cross-scale interactions in flood risk management at the local and regional scale in Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland. The results revealed that administrative co-operation in flood preparedness has functioned well in Rovaniemi in recent decades and few changes have been made to it. Nevertheless, flood defense measures have been the subject of a persistent and dynamic conflict, which has been locked in a polarized phase. Among local residents? approaches to flood risk management, there have been few changes in preparedness, although administrative actors have emphasized communication and self-preparedness in recent years. I discuss how the cross-scale mismatches have contributed to hinder the flood risk management, sharpen the conflict over flood defense measures, and keep the local residents? level of preparedness low. Peer reviewed