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This article assesses the rationality of the governance of the Vietnamese coastal zone’s water system. We first specify five assessment criteria, which we apply to a case study. Based on document analysis, stakeholder surveys and in-depth interviews, we found an average score on the criterion that relevant water system knowledge must be available. The scores on the criteria that water usage is systematically monitored, that the legal framework is complied with, that long-term human and wider ecological interests are addressed, and that governance is decentralized appeared to be low. The article concludes with some recommendations to change the governance system.

A sustainable future of the coastal environment is severely at risk since the coasts are deteriorating and human dependence on coastal space and resources continues to increase. Seeking solutions for coastal development is challenging. Problems of flood control, nature restoration and spatial development are complex, cover multiple interests of for instance economic growth and nature preservation and include large knowledge uncertainties like climate change and soil subsidence. Given this complex reality, the knowledge of researchers is not sufficient to respond to complex coastal problems. Instead, knowledge should be developed in interaction between researchers, policy makers and other societal actors. The objective of this PhD thesis is to explore how processes of interactive knowledge development function in coastal projects. A conceptual framework of project and knowledge arrangements is applied to analyse interactive knowledge development in coastal projects. An arrangement consists of four interrelated dimensions: actors, resources, rules and discourses. The project arrangement focuses on the overall project goals and the activities undertaken to achieve them. The knowledge arrangement conceptualises the process of interactive knowledge development for a particular solution in the project. The conceptual framework is applied in three case studies: the Texel dike reinforcement project in the Wadden Sea, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration project in San Francisco Bay and the Marconi spatial development project in Delfzijl on the banks of the Ems estuary. Data were collected through interviews, observations of project meetings, project documents and field visits. The thesis presents eleven generic mechanisms that explain how a process of interactive knowledge development functions in the studied coastal projects. The mechanisms highlight that interactive knowledge development enhances the feasibility and public support of developed solutions. In addition, the mechanisms show that interactive knowledge development requires specific measures such as a facilitator and easily understood knowledge, to align the contributions of participating actors. Lastly, the mechanisms show that a process of interactive knowledge development consumes substantial more time than ‘basic’ research to address the concerns of participating actors. The thesis ends with recommendations for practitioners who aim to develop knowledge interactively.

Water management problems are embedded in a natural and social system that is characterized by complexity. Knowledge uncertainty and the existence of divergent actors’ perceptions contribute to this complexity. Consequently, dealing with water management issues is not just a knowledge uncertainty problem; it is a problem of ambiguity too. This PhD-research focuses on decision-making processes for complex water management issues. We investigated how a decision-making process, for a complex water management issue, influences the creation of a knowledge base, the development of actors’ perceptions and the formulation of a problem-solution combination. Three case studies of complex water management issues are presented, two explorative case studies from practice and a comparative experiment. The first case study focuses on the decision-making process for the impact assessment of the extension of Mainport Rotterdam. This process can be characterized as an analytical decision-making process, as it is based on rationality and objectivity. The second case study focuses on the sustainable development of ecology, economy and society in the Delta region, in the southwest of the Netherlands. This project is a typical example of a participatory decision-making process, which actively involves actors and is open to divergent perceptions of the problem. In our third case study, two decision-making processes – analytical and participatory – are compared using an experimental setup. The comparison between the two decision-making processes was carried out within the framework of a multidisciplinary design project for Civil Engineering Bachelor-students of the University of Twente.