title: The achievement of a decentralized water management through stakeholder participation: an example from the Drôme River catchment area in France (1981-2008).
abstract: Different water Acts (e.g., the European Water Framework Directive) and stakeholders involved in aquatic affairs have promoted integrated river basin management over recent decades. However, few studies have provided feedback on these policies. The aim of the current article is to fill this gap by exploring how local newspapers reflect the implementation of a broad public participation within a catchment of France known for its innovation with regard to this domain. The media coverage of a water management strategy in the Drôme watershed from 1981 to 2008 was investigated using a content analysis and a geographic information system. We sought to determine what public participation and decentralized decision-making can be in practice. The results showed that this policy was integrated because of its social perspective, the high number of involved stakeholders, the willingness to handle water issues, and the local scale suitable for participation. We emphasized the prominence of the watershed scale guaranteed by the local water authority. This area was also characterized by compromise, arrangements, and power dynamics on a fine scale. We examined the most politically engaged writings regarding water management, which topics of each group emphasized, and how the groups agreed and disagreed on issues based on their values and context. The temporal pattern of participation implementation was progressive but worked by fits and starts.
authors.affiliation: CNRS-UMR 5600 "Environnement, Ville, Société", Université de Lyon, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, Site ENS de Lyon - UMR 5600 EVS, 15 Parvis René Descartes, BP 7000, 69342, Lyon Cedex 07, France, emeline.comby@ens-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: Emeline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Comby
authors.forename: Yves-François
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Le Lay
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Piégay
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003657:Decision Making; D005602:France; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D009524:Newspapers as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011639:Public Opinion; D045483:Rivers; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014881:Water Supply