Social Perceptions and Environmental Communication on the ‘Benefits' and ‘Risks' of Tidal Flat Restorations

This paper looks at how the ‘risks’ and ‘benefits’ of tidal flat restoration projects are communicated, perceived and negotiated by different stakeholders in case studies from Japan, the UK, Netherlands and Malaysia.

Various tidal flat restoration projects have been conducted in Japan and elsewhere in recent years in an attempt to revitalise fish stocks or preparing sea level rise. Coastal wetland restoration projects, such as coastal realignments or re-flooding farmland, still represent a new concept. Due to the need for long-term social support and investment in such schemes, it will become increasingly important to take into account the various perceptions that exist in the community from now on. Yet, at the moment it is often not clear 1) what kinds of environmental information on wetland restorations are produced and communicated by project contractors and other stakeholders in the community; 2) in what way various stakeholders perceive the ‘benefits’ and ‘risks’ of their local restoration projects; 3) what the commonalities and differences among these discourses are, within and across different case studies, and 4) how the findings could make a contribution to future decision making and support for coastal wetland restorations in Japan and beyond.

This paper explores the above four points to examine the improvement conditions of participatory sustainability initiatives. This paper is based on data collected during a three-year government-funded research project (2011–2013) from stakeholder interviews and through document analysis of the environmental information provided to citizens and decision makers via various media.