13.2.1 A Low Level of Awareness as Regards the Drought
Issue
The problem with perceptions and goal ambitions is that this is the dimension in
which the governance context does not favour drought policy. The four criteria of
this dimension are either neutral (yellow) or restrictive (red) in most of the studied
regions, particularly where the intensity is concerned. This is shown in Table 13.1.
In fact, in most of the studied regions and primarily because of the traditionally
wet situation of the NW regions, many actors involved in water governance are not
aware of the potential drought situation or do not see it as a priority. These actors
are much more preoccupied with floods. Additionally, in the Somerset case, in
which the awareness of drought impacts was high at the beginning of the project,
the flood event that occurred during the course of the DROP project changed the
minds of those involved and allowed them to forget the drought issue for some
period.
In nearly all cases, the intensity of problem perceptions as well as of goal
ambitions is the worst dimension for the drought governance context. In several
cases drought issues were introduced during the interviews with the governance
team.
This low level of drought awareness results in a low-intensity assessment of all
of the dimensions of the governance context (Table 13.2). If we consider the
intensity criteria for all the dimensions in each region, we can assess that the
intensity quality is either restrictive (red) or neutral (yellow) in all of the regions and
Table 13.1 Assessment of problem perceptions and goal ambitions criteria in the six regions
Table 13.2 Intensity assessment for all of the dimensions in all of the regions
13 Towards a Drought Policy in North-West European Regions?
247
Issue
The problem with perceptions and goal ambitions is that this is the dimension in
which the governance context does not favour drought policy. The four criteria of
this dimension are either neutral (yellow) or restrictive (red) in most of the studied
regions, particularly where the intensity is concerned. This is shown in Table 13.1.
In fact, in most of the studied regions and primarily because of the traditionally
wet situation of the NW regions, many actors involved in water governance are not
aware of the potential drought situation or do not see it as a priority. These actors
are much more preoccupied with floods. Additionally, in the Somerset case, in
which the awareness of drought impacts was high at the beginning of the project,
the flood event that occurred during the course of the DROP project changed the
minds of those involved and allowed them to forget the drought issue for some
period.
In nearly all cases, the intensity of problem perceptions as well as of goal
ambitions is the worst dimension for the drought governance context. In several
cases drought issues were introduced during the interviews with the governance
team.
This low level of drought awareness results in a low-intensity assessment of all
of the dimensions of the governance context (Table 13.2). If we consider the
intensity criteria for all the dimensions in each region, we can assess that the
intensity quality is either restrictive (red) or neutral (yellow) in all of the regions and
Table 13.1 Assessment of problem perceptions and goal ambitions criteria in the six regions
Table 13.2 Intensity assessment for all of the dimensions in all of the regions
13 Towards a Drought Policy in North-West European Regions?
247