In search of ‘lost’ knowledge and outsourced expertise in flood risk management

Haughton, Graham; Bankoff, Greg; Coulthard, Tom J

Abstract

This paper examines the parallel discourses of ‘lost’ local flood expertise and the growing use of commercial consultancies to outsource aspects of flood risk work. We critically examine the various claims and counter-claims about lost, local and external expertise in flood management, focusing on the aftermath of the 2007 floods in East Yorkshire, England. Drawing on interviews with consultants, drainage engineers and others, we caution against claims that privilege ‘local’ floods knowledge as ‘good’ and expert knowledge as somehow suspect. This paper urges carefulness in interpreting claims about local knowledge, arguing that it is important always to think instead of hybrid knowledge formations. We conclude by arguing that experiments in the co-production of flood risk knowledge need to be seen as part of a spectrum of ways for producing shared knowledge.

Citation

Haughton, G., Bankoff, G., & Coulthard, T. J. (2015). In search of ‘lost’ knowledge and outsourced expertise in flood risk management. Transactions - Institute of British Geographers, 40(3), 375-386. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12082

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 3, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Feb 4, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Deposit Date: Apr 13, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 13, 2015
• Journal: Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers
• Print ISSN: 0020-2754
• Electronic ISSN: 1475-5661
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 375-386
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12082
• Keywords: Flood risk management; Local knowledge; Expert knowledge; Co-production of knowledge; Consultants; Outsourcing
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/372277
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tran.12082/abstract
• Additional Information: Copy of: Haughton, G., Bankoff, G. and J Coulthard, T. (2015), In search of ‘lost’ knowledge and outsourced expertise in flood risk management. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. doi: 10.1111/tran.12082