Commentary: Dike Relocation from an Environmental Policy Perspective

Abstract

Dike relocation is receiving ample attention from academic scholars, due to its often socially contested nature, and because it relates to various academic disciplines; from the social (e.g. policy and planning studies) to environmental (e.g. hydrology) sciences. The River Landscape Elbe-Brandenburg biosphere reserve case study, to which this contribution provides a commentary, highlights how dike relocations could be presented as nature-based solutions that simultaneously address water management and nature restoration issues. It argues that a well-organized participatory process is important to guide the implementation of dike relocation projects from a governance perspective.