Effective Stakeholder Management for Inclusive Post-Flood Management: Sri Lanka as a Case Study

Mendis, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4090-4923, Thayaparan, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8499-3297, Kaluarachchi Nartallo, Yamuna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7582-662X and Ingirige, B (2024) Effective Stakeholder Management for Inclusive Post-Flood Management: Sri Lanka as a Case Study. Water, 16 (10). 1429.

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Abstract

This study aimed to examine post-flood management, with a particular focus on enhancing the inclusivity of marginalised communities through stakeholder analysis. This study was based on an interpretivist mixed method approach, under which 30 semi-structured stakeholder interviews were conducted. Interest versus power versus actual engagement matrix, social network analysis, and thematic analysis techniques were employed under the stakeholder analysis tool to analyse the collected data. The findings highlight the lack of clearly defined responsibilities among key stakeholders. Marginalised communities and community-based organisations have a high level of interests but a low level of power in decision making, resulting in weak engagement and the exclusion of their perceptions. This lack of collaboration and coordination among stakeholders has made marginalised communities more vulnerable in post-flood situations, as their interests are not defended. The findings emphasise the importance of conducting stakeholder analysis in the decision-making process to enhance stakeholder engagement and interaction, as well as promote inclusivity of marginalised communities in the post-flood recovery efforts of the government. Finally, this study recommends developing strategies to improve collaboration among stakeholders, fostering inclusiveness and customising these strategies according to the different types of stakeholders identified through stakeholder analysis.