Stakeholder engagement in disaster recovery: Insights into roles and power dynamics from the Ahr Valley, Germany

Abstract

Stakeholder engagement is increasingly important in disaster risk management, serving as an effective approach to consensus-building and improved management. However, practical implementation encounters challenges and conflicts between political leaders and stakeholders. This paper provides an overview of participatory and collaborative governance in disaster recovery, drawing on the institutional interaction framework. Through qualitative methods including 32 semi-structured interviews with government agencies, NGOs, community organizations, and volunteers involved in post-flood recovery in the Ahr Valley, Germany, the study examines stakeholder roles and power dynamics and their impact on recovery process. The findings illustrate multiple scenarios of community stakeholder interactions, highlighting how these interactions shape recovery. Power struggles and hidden power dynamics are revealed to significantly influence decision-making, with pre-existing stakeholder conflicts playing a role. I argue that recognizing stakeholder roles and relationships and fostering community leadership can establish trusted connections, enabling sustained engagement and resilience-building beyond immediate recovery efforts.