Mapping the farmer's narrative : the political ecology of the Nooksack River Basin floods

Abstract

In November 2021, a combination of two atmospheric rivers and warmer temperatures led to catastrophic flooding within the Nooksack River Basin (NRB) in Whatcom County, USA. The aim of this paper is to understand the importance of the farmers role within flood management and the complexity of participatory flood risk governance (PFRG). Forty different stakeholders were surveyed using semi-structured interviews and meeting observations. A mixed methodology of Critical Narrative Mapping (CNM) and common thematic grouping was implemented to contextualize the political ecology (PE) of the NRB floods. The case study found that the common issues impeding farmer participation in flood risk management include: jurisdictional boundaries, inter-agriculture representation, preservation of agriculture land, and the regulatory process. To improve equity in future flood risk management, rigid constraints on both funding and regulations concerning disaster events should be reviewed and relaxed. The PE of the Nooksack River flooding is a prime example of complex governance where citizen’s participatory efforts are evident, yet are highly influenced by the push and pull of bureaucratic regulations. The political ecological narrative of the farmer does have the power to transform communities into examples of socio-ecological resilience by working towards more collaborative and equitable modes of governance.