How Far Do Decision-Makers See? A Spatiotemporal Investigation of Flood Risk Governance in a French Alps City

At the confluence of two rivers, the Grenoble Metropolitan area of France is a fabric of municipalities surrounded by Alpine massifs. Despite the absence of a major flood since 1859, flood risks persist, further amplified by climate uncertainties. We investigated how institutional structures manage these evolving risks. From previous research using Q-methodology, we found tensions related to spatial and jurisdictional aspects of flood risk management. To gain a deeper understanding of the temporal aspects not apparent from the Q-method study, we conducted a thematic analysis of seven interviews of study participants who hold managerial positions. Even though the interviewees were well aware of flood history and climate change, regulatory and policy mechanisms often impede the mobilisation of a long-term view into flood risk management strategies.
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