Final Report Summary - ESCALATE (Evaluating Social Capital Effects on PoLicy Adaptation to Climate change in Coastal Zones of England)
ESCALATE is a research project funded by the European Commission (Marie Curie Actions, Intra-European Fellowship). The project started in September 2011 and was completed in July 2013. The Principal Investigator was Dr. Julian Clark and the post-doctoral fellow was Dr. Nikoleta Jones. The aim of ESCALATE was to explore public perceptions of coastal management scenarios seeking to mitigate climate change impacts, through the lens of social capital theory. The main objectives of the project were: a) To assess the social costs and benefits of proposed coastal management strategies to mitigate climate change effects in two study areas in the UK, b) To analyze the influence of local social capital in the two study areas on individual and community perceptions of these mitigation strategies, and c) To assess how local social capital can be optimized in current policymaking frameworks that shape mitigation and adaptation strategies at the coast. The main proposition that the project tested was that type and degree of community reaction, and the perceived overall social acceptability of coastal management policies will significantly vary between communities and individuals and that this variation is determined largely by levels of social capital in communities.
Two case studies were selected in the UK in order to investigate the objectives of the project: Sheringham to Winterton-on-Sea in north Norfolk; and Folkestone to Winchelsea (Romney Marsh) in east Sussex and Kent. In common with other European states, the UK now pursues three coastal management strategies: a. ‘hold the line’ (i.e. maintain or improve current defences), b. managed realignment (retreat with management to control or limit encroachment), and c. no active intervention. Romney Marsh is situated in south-east England. The proposed strategy for the management of the coast here is to ‘hold-the-line’ by maintaining and improving existing defences, with some minor local realignment taking place. In the north Norfolk study area, the proposed strategy for coastal management is ‘managed realignment’ in some areas while maintaining and improving existing defences in others.
Structured questionnaires were distributed to a representative sample of local communities in the case study areas focusing on collecting information about citizens’ perceptions for coastal management issues and also on evaluating their level of social capital. In both study areas, the sample was 1000 randomly selected households . The response rate was 16% in Romney Marsh and 13% in north Norfolk, providing us with 160 and 130 completed questionnaires respectively. In order to investigate some of the findings in greater depth, 20 individuals from each study area were invited to participate in follow-up semi-structured face-to-face interviews.
The study confirmed that certain social capital parameters –including trust and social cohesion within coastal communities – largely determine local perceptions of key coastal management issues. Major challenges now facing local communities and policy-makers in rapidly eroding coastal areas of England were also highlighted. Specifically, the Romney Marsh case study showed a marked community preference for keeping current sea defences instead of promoting a managed realignment policy. This is clearly influenced by respondents’ desire to protect property they live in or depend upon (eg. agricultural land), and which determines their economic livelihoods as prime realizable assets or by setting the level of recurrent insurance premiums. Respondents vested relatively high levels of trust in the Environment Agency, arising from ongoing beach replenishment and coastal defence repair works undertaken by the Agency in and around the Marsh.. In addition, despite over half the sample stating they would be willing to participate in coastal management activities, the actual level of participation in coastal action groups is very low. These findings provide a useful basis for future research given that impacts from sea level rise are expected to increase in Romney Marsh. From our results, it is evident that the Environment Agency should continue to have a central role in coordinating coastal management policy locally, in collaboration with District and Parish Councils. Nonetheless, local community involvement in policy decision-making and decision-taking must be improved through expanding the role and remit of local involvement and participation . For example, bettter use should be made of deliberative and inclusionary processes by the Environment Agency and local authorities in order to more accurately incorporate local knowledge into future policy decisions on coastal management.
Regarding North Norfolk, project results show low levels of public awareness of the current Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). For those who were aware of the SMP, the most important source of their information was the Environment Agency. Moreover, approximately half of the sample was willing to participate in coastal related activities, a very low percentage was actually a member of a local coastal management group. A significant weakness would seem to be the lack of engagement between central government organizations and local communities, and a marked lack of networking which might facilitate the flow of information and opinion on coastal issues both ways. Study findings also revealed relatively high levels of trust in the capacity of local residents and communities to manage coastal issues on their own, and in the reliability and effectiveness of the Environment Agency’s work locally. Trust towards Government organizations, in particular Defra, was significantly lower. These results reveal the significant loss of trust in the current national coastal management framework, and the perceived lack of responsiveness by central Government to local needs. This issue is important taking into consideration that in future climate change impacts in the area are projected to intensify, especially as coastal defences in parts of the case study area are not to be maintained. This is already causing significant distress to some local residents, exacerbated by the seeming injustice of defences being maintained in neighbouring villages. In order to confront future policy challenges, it is essential to give the local community a voice to express their needs and find sustainable solutions which will give emphasis on the socio-economic impacts of the management of the coast. Again, this underscores the need for widespread public participation in policy decision-making on coastal management strategy.
Detailed presentation of the results is available on the webpage of the project:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/see/projects/escalate/index.aspx
ESCALATE’s findings are of high importance for policy-makers, NGOs and local communities connected with coastal management issues. The results of the project are of particular relevance for the implementation of the current suite of UK and European environmental policies, including the Water Framework and Floods Directives, and, importantly, for the formulation of the EU Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management. To ensure these measures attain optimum effectiveness, the study findings strongly support implementing social capital surveys of communities affected by these measures prior to policy implementation so that policy is appropriately tailored to local community needs and, specifically, to levels of trust, neighbourliness, and social cohesion in the focal communities. As important, these surveys should be used to design public engagement mechanisms to be included in these measures from the outset, so securing genuine involvement of local communities in decision-making and decision-taking on environmental policies.
Two case studies were selected in the UK in order to investigate the objectives of the project: Sheringham to Winterton-on-Sea in north Norfolk; and Folkestone to Winchelsea (Romney Marsh) in east Sussex and Kent. In common with other European states, the UK now pursues three coastal management strategies: a. ‘hold the line’ (i.e. maintain or improve current defences), b. managed realignment (retreat with management to control or limit encroachment), and c. no active intervention. Romney Marsh is situated in south-east England. The proposed strategy for the management of the coast here is to ‘hold-the-line’ by maintaining and improving existing defences, with some minor local realignment taking place. In the north Norfolk study area, the proposed strategy for coastal management is ‘managed realignment’ in some areas while maintaining and improving existing defences in others.
Structured questionnaires were distributed to a representative sample of local communities in the case study areas focusing on collecting information about citizens’ perceptions for coastal management issues and also on evaluating their level of social capital. In both study areas, the sample was 1000 randomly selected households . The response rate was 16% in Romney Marsh and 13% in north Norfolk, providing us with 160 and 130 completed questionnaires respectively. In order to investigate some of the findings in greater depth, 20 individuals from each study area were invited to participate in follow-up semi-structured face-to-face interviews.
The study confirmed that certain social capital parameters –including trust and social cohesion within coastal communities – largely determine local perceptions of key coastal management issues. Major challenges now facing local communities and policy-makers in rapidly eroding coastal areas of England were also highlighted. Specifically, the Romney Marsh case study showed a marked community preference for keeping current sea defences instead of promoting a managed realignment policy. This is clearly influenced by respondents’ desire to protect property they live in or depend upon (eg. agricultural land), and which determines their economic livelihoods as prime realizable assets or by setting the level of recurrent insurance premiums. Respondents vested relatively high levels of trust in the Environment Agency, arising from ongoing beach replenishment and coastal defence repair works undertaken by the Agency in and around the Marsh.. In addition, despite over half the sample stating they would be willing to participate in coastal management activities, the actual level of participation in coastal action groups is very low. These findings provide a useful basis for future research given that impacts from sea level rise are expected to increase in Romney Marsh. From our results, it is evident that the Environment Agency should continue to have a central role in coordinating coastal management policy locally, in collaboration with District and Parish Councils. Nonetheless, local community involvement in policy decision-making and decision-taking must be improved through expanding the role and remit of local involvement and participation . For example, bettter use should be made of deliberative and inclusionary processes by the Environment Agency and local authorities in order to more accurately incorporate local knowledge into future policy decisions on coastal management.
Regarding North Norfolk, project results show low levels of public awareness of the current Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). For those who were aware of the SMP, the most important source of their information was the Environment Agency. Moreover, approximately half of the sample was willing to participate in coastal related activities, a very low percentage was actually a member of a local coastal management group. A significant weakness would seem to be the lack of engagement between central government organizations and local communities, and a marked lack of networking which might facilitate the flow of information and opinion on coastal issues both ways. Study findings also revealed relatively high levels of trust in the capacity of local residents and communities to manage coastal issues on their own, and in the reliability and effectiveness of the Environment Agency’s work locally. Trust towards Government organizations, in particular Defra, was significantly lower. These results reveal the significant loss of trust in the current national coastal management framework, and the perceived lack of responsiveness by central Government to local needs. This issue is important taking into consideration that in future climate change impacts in the area are projected to intensify, especially as coastal defences in parts of the case study area are not to be maintained. This is already causing significant distress to some local residents, exacerbated by the seeming injustice of defences being maintained in neighbouring villages. In order to confront future policy challenges, it is essential to give the local community a voice to express their needs and find sustainable solutions which will give emphasis on the socio-economic impacts of the management of the coast. Again, this underscores the need for widespread public participation in policy decision-making on coastal management strategy.
Detailed presentation of the results is available on the webpage of the project:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/see/projects/escalate/index.aspx
ESCALATE’s findings are of high importance for policy-makers, NGOs and local communities connected with coastal management issues. The results of the project are of particular relevance for the implementation of the current suite of UK and European environmental policies, including the Water Framework and Floods Directives, and, importantly, for the formulation of the EU Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management. To ensure these measures attain optimum effectiveness, the study findings strongly support implementing social capital surveys of communities affected by these measures prior to policy implementation so that policy is appropriately tailored to local community needs and, specifically, to levels of trust, neighbourliness, and social cohesion in the focal communities. As important, these surveys should be used to design public engagement mechanisms to be included in these measures from the outset, so securing genuine involvement of local communities in decision-making and decision-taking on environmental policies.