Climate Change Adaptation in River Management

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

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2. The Political Dimension of Water Management in the Face of Climate Change

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 1-40

3. A Discursive Institutionalist’s Approach to Policy Process in the Tradition of Historical Institutionalism

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 41-79

4. The Linkage between Climate Change Adaptation and Water

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 81-127

5. Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management in South Korea

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 129-171

6. Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management in Germany

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 173-215

7. Policy Change and Stability in Water Management in Face of Climate Change: A Comparison of South Korea and Germany

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 217-260

8. General Conclusion

   • Yi hyun Kang

   Pages 261-274

9. Back Matter

   Pages 275-289

   PDF

This book examines the approaches to climate change adaptation in water governance taken by South Korea and Germany. By comparing their political decision-making processes, this book explores the factors behind their differences. Adaptation to the changing climate is critical to human society and water is the principal medium through which climate change will affect us. Due to high levels of industrialization and population density, flood control is a high priority in both countries’ adaptation plans. While South Korea has maintained its engineering-oriented flood control policy for river management, Germany has turned its direction from its long-standing technical approach to more nature-based solutions. The evidence of this study indicates that policy change and stability is the result of discourse and institutional interaction, and thus emphasizes the validity of discursive institutionalism. This book will clearly explain why certain policies are adopted for water management and will be an invaluable contribution to the expanding literature on the socio-political aspects of climate change adaptation.

• water governance
• climate change adaptation
• flood risk management
• Germany
• South Korea
• environmental management
• river management
• water policy
• water policy in Germany
• water policy in South Korea

"This book contributes significantly to the literature on comparative climate adaptation and shows how and why understandings of best approaches to water management are changing. It will be of interest to those concerned with the effects of climate change, evolving water management policies, and the ways in which water management is being viewed in major economies in Europe and in Asia. The book is an important and fascinating read."
- Miranda A. Schreurs, Professor of Environment and Climate Politics, Technical University of Munich, Germany
“Why do countries take different technical approaches to flood control? In this ground-breaking qualitative study of the cases of South Korea and Germany, Yi Hyun Kang uses discursive institutionalism to explore the key role of social discourse and discursive conflicts in bringing about major shifts to long-standing patterns of flood risk management (Germany) or not (Korea).  A must-read for those interested in the sourcesand dynamics of continuity and change in water management responses to climate change.”
- Vivien A. Schmidt, Professor of International Relations, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, United States 

“This book provides a thorough comparative analysis of the political and institutional factors that shape the differences in climate change adaptation approaches in South Korea and Germany. The cases of this study show that social discourses, decision-making structures, informal norms and shocking events have influenced the flood risk management policies. Participatory processes were found to increase the chance of policy change. The book makes a case for a more stakeholder-inclusive climate adaptation governance, since participation can reduce the uncertainty related to implementing a new policy. The book is essential reading, not only for scholars interested in comparative analyses, but also for policymakers and politicians working on water and climate governance issues.”
- Dries Hegger, Assistant Professor of Regional Water and Climate Governance, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

• Université Saint-Louis-Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

  Yi hyun Kang

Yi hyun Kang is a postdoctoral researcher at the Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles, Belgium. She earned her PhD at the Technical University of Munich, Germany with her dissertation on climate change adaptation policies of South Korea and Germany. Yi hyun's research interests focus on the decision-making process of environmental politics. These research interests developed from her professional work experiences in journalism, research, and international development sectors.

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