Dynamic actor network analysis for diffuse pollution in the province of North-Holland

Diffuse pollution problems involve numerous different organizations and this requires decision makers to involve different actors if they want to develop policies that have a chance of being implemented effectively. A first step in such interactive policy development would be to gain an overview of the different actors involved in diffuse pollution problems, as well as their views on the problem, their interests and their means to influence policy development and implementation. Dynamic Actor Network Analysis (DANA) offers a method that helps analysts in providing such an overview, and the use of this method is explored through its application to a case in the Dutch province of North Holland. The described case specifically focuses on the use of herbicides in public space and involves actors from regional water management authorities, municipalities and private sector users. An important finding is that there is an imbalance in the perceptions of actors that needs to be addressed by water management authorities. The paper concludes that DANA is a promising tool for offering new and useful insights to decision makers, although more practical experience is needed to better assess the utility of this analysis tool.