Nature-based solutions (NbS) are fast becoming the norm for multifunctional coastal climate adaptation to increased sea-level rise. However, informing decision-makers about NbS presents ongoing... Show moreNature-based solutions (NbS) are fast becoming the norm for multifunctional coastal climate adaptation to increased sea-level rise. However, informing decision-makers about NbS presents ongoing challenges. This study set out to identify and explore the information requirements at different stages of the decision-making process of coastal NbS. Developing and applying a novel methodological approach, we analysed the values and indicators discussed in four key decision-making stages: the advocacy, political, bureaucratic and provisioning stages. Applied to a mega beach nourishment in the Netherlands, our study identified substantial differences in information requirements across the decision-making stages. Most notably, the values and indicators discussed shifted from being abstract to becoming increasingly specific and concrete as the stages progressed. Our findings emphasize the importance of recognizing the distinct stages of decision-making and tailoring the content and level of abstraction of information accordingly. Additionally, they suggest that future changes in the content and concretisation of the information required for decision-making on coastal NbS can be anticipated and prepared for. By distinguishing and understanding the decision-making stages in NbS, this study bridges a longstanding gap between decision-making and NbS studies, thereby allowing for improving the fairness, implementation, evaluation and comprehension of trade-offs of coastal NbS. This study progresses the understanding of the information required for planning, implementing, evaluating and managing coastal NbS, advancing multifunctional coastal climate adaptation for shores worldwide. Show less
The ubiquity of experts in contemporary policy-making has been met with enthusiasm in some quarters, but has also faced severe criticism. Beyond the democratic concerns regarding expert power,... Show moreThe ubiquity of experts in contemporary policy-making has been met with enthusiasm in some quarters, but has also faced severe criticism. Beyond the democratic concerns regarding expert power, critics have raised worries about whether experts actually contribute to increasing the epistemic quality of policies, in line with normative expectations. Yet, so far, limited attention has been paid to the specific conditions under which experts involved in policy-making are likely to live up to such expectations. The article outlines a set of such conditions and empirically examines their fulfillment in the case of a real-world expert body. The article contributes theoretically to normative political theory about the proper role of expertise in policy-making; methodologically by linking normative theorizing and empirical analysis; and empirically through a longitudinal analysis based on large-n data of the extent to which the expert body under scrutiny satisfies a set of quantifiable empirical indicators of the proposed conditions. Show less
