instance in the level-dependent drainage approach or in the tailor-made water
management plans, aids in aligning all actors on the awareness, importance and
implementation of drought adaptation. It is essentially this management of cooperation in order to enable the realization of practice projects that requires a good
governance context. Without a good governance context the degree of trust,
openness and mutual liking is likely too low to allow for real cooperation. To what
degree such a stimulating governance context is present in the Twente case, and
what are the strong and weak aspects therein, will be the focus of the next section.
In that section we will apply the governance assessment approach explained in the
introduction.
9.4 Governance Assessment: Actor Coherence Saves
the Day
The quality of the governance context and the way practitioners deal with that
context is an important consideration to be taken into account when implementing
measures for drought resilience. In the DROP project the governance context has
been studied not only by reading relevant documents, but also by two visits of the
DROP governance team. Interviews and meetings with the representatives of all
relevant stakeholders during those visits, as well as studying the secondary data,
provided a clear picture of the governance context. This enabled to assess it along
the four governance criteria of extent, coherence, flexibility and intensity. The
essence of those criteria will be repeated each time before describing the observations done in Twente region. The focus of the analysis will again depart from the
perspective of the realization of the projects in the Twente region. That does not
preclude that often policies and actors that operate at a higher scale will be mentioned and included in the analysis. But this is than always because of their relevance for the Twente pilot situation.
9.4.1 Extent: Are All Elements in the Five Dimensions
that Are Relevant for the Sector or Project that Is
Focused on Taken into Account?
The extent aspect of the governance context in Twente can mostly be regarded
rather positive, but with some restrictions. It is positive in terms of the large extent
of the levels and actors involved and high degree of openness of involved stakeholders, as well as awareness and increase of the visibility of the drought issues.
Regarding levels and actors involved we looked at the full range from the
European level to the local pilot level. At the European level the Water Framework
Directive and Natura 2000 policies make the relevance of the EU obvious.
9 The Fragmentation-Coherence Paradox in Twente
191
management plans, aids in aligning all actors on the awareness, importance and
implementation of drought adaptation. It is essentially this management of cooperation in order to enable the realization of practice projects that requires a good
governance context. Without a good governance context the degree of trust,
openness and mutual liking is likely too low to allow for real cooperation. To what
degree such a stimulating governance context is present in the Twente case, and
what are the strong and weak aspects therein, will be the focus of the next section.
In that section we will apply the governance assessment approach explained in the
introduction.
9.4 Governance Assessment: Actor Coherence Saves
the Day
The quality of the governance context and the way practitioners deal with that
context is an important consideration to be taken into account when implementing
measures for drought resilience. In the DROP project the governance context has
been studied not only by reading relevant documents, but also by two visits of the
DROP governance team. Interviews and meetings with the representatives of all
relevant stakeholders during those visits, as well as studying the secondary data,
provided a clear picture of the governance context. This enabled to assess it along
the four governance criteria of extent, coherence, flexibility and intensity. The
essence of those criteria will be repeated each time before describing the observations done in Twente region. The focus of the analysis will again depart from the
perspective of the realization of the projects in the Twente region. That does not
preclude that often policies and actors that operate at a higher scale will be mentioned and included in the analysis. But this is than always because of their relevance for the Twente pilot situation.
9.4.1 Extent: Are All Elements in the Five Dimensions
that Are Relevant for the Sector or Project that Is
Focused on Taken into Account?
The extent aspect of the governance context in Twente can mostly be regarded
rather positive, but with some restrictions. It is positive in terms of the large extent
of the levels and actors involved and high degree of openness of involved stakeholders, as well as awareness and increase of the visibility of the drought issues.
Regarding levels and actors involved we looked at the full range from the
European level to the local pilot level. At the European level the Water Framework
Directive and Natura 2000 policies make the relevance of the EU obvious.
9 The Fragmentation-Coherence Paradox in Twente
191