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Chapter
Århus Convention in Practice: Access to Information and Decision- making in a Pilot Planning Process for a Flemish River Basin
DOI link for Århus Convention in Practice: Access to Information and Decision- making in a Pilot Planning Process for a Flemish River Basin
Århus Convention in Practice: Access to Information and Decision- making in a Pilot Planning Process for a Flemish River Basin book
Århus Convention in Practice: Access to Information and Decision- making in a Pilot Planning Process for a Flemish River Basin
DOI link for Århus Convention in Practice: Access to Information and Decision- making in a Pilot Planning Process for a Flemish River Basin
Århus Convention in Practice: Access to Information and Decision- making in a Pilot Planning Process for a Flemish River Basin book
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ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with an example of a Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) in the northwest of Europe. In 2002 the government of Flanders, Belgium started involving civil society and private parties in the development of a sub-basin management plan for the river Nete, based on the principles of Integrated Water Management. It was an attempt to innovate the normal central planning and as such was a very interesting case to study. I focus here on the MSP as a temporary information system (Checkland and Holwell 1998), by answering three questions. (1) How to organize the information system so that information exchange between multiple stakeholders is equitable, efficient and enriches the process? (2) Are there requirements as to the accessibility, format, adequacy, timeliness and quality of the information? (3) Does the exchange and debates lead to better plans, increased joint knowledge on the functioning of water systems and more transparent decision-making? By looking into the actual exchange and use of information on water issues that takes place in a multiple stakeholder platform as the Nete platform, recommendations for improvement are suggested.