Integrating Participatory Visualization Methods to Explore Drivers of Change Within Flood Risk Management Systems

Flood risk is a wicked problem, characterized by non-linear dynamics, cross-scale interdependencies, and contested responsibilities. Disentangling who or what has the capacity to drive change in flood risk management (FRM) systems is a critical step for designing inclusive and sustainable risk-reducing interventions. Given the diverse range of actors often involved in FRM decision-making, it is necessary to consider different interpretations of what system features are important. Using participatory visualization methods this study applied a systems-thinking lens to examine how experts visualize the FRM system and its drivers of change in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Workshop one participants undertook group timeline mapping to visualize their understanding of the events and processes that have driven BC FRM system development. Workshop two participants completed open-ended concept maps, producing personal mental models of the features and relationships that make up the present-day FRM system. Data from both workshops were synthesized into a ‘master’ timeline and concept map, and the experts’ perceived drivers of system change were identified. Our results revealed decentralizing governance shifts and past flood events as drivers of historic system development in the minds of our experts. Our results also indicated leverage points that experts had included as drivers of system improvement in their concept maps, with frequently named and connected features, such as the most interconnected feature: ‘flood mapping’, offering potential opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and cascading risk-reduction action. Possible gaps in the FRM system were also revealed by system features that were acknowledged as important by participants but were represented as disconnected, including themes of ‘climate change impact’ and ‘reconciliation’. Participatory visualization methods, especially when used in combination, offer a practical approach for representing experts’ mental models of FRM systems, revealing expert-identified leverage points for practical FRM improvement that can contribute to sustainable flood risk reduction goals.