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Dr David Benson

Associate Professor(Cornwall)

01326 259415

David Benson is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics. After receiving his doctoral degree at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2007, he undertook an ESRC Post Doctoral Fellowship that examined the allocation of environmental powers across EU multi-level governance. He was then appointed as a lecturer in environmental politics, policy and governance at UEA, followed by his appointment as a lecturer in politics at the University of Exeter in 2013. Dr Benson's research, based at the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) in Penryn, encompasses a range of issue areas at the interface between political and environmental sciences, most notably EU environmental and energy policy, comparative environmental politics and governance, federalism and public participation in environmental decision-making.

Dr Benson also holds masters degrees in environmental sciences (MEnv.Sci.), research methods (MRes.) and higher education practice (MA-HEP).

He is currently supervising several PhD programmes as first and second supervisor. Propsective PhD applicants with an interest in environmental politics, policy and governance are welcome to contact him to discuss their research ideas.

For an overview of current research outputs, please visit my ResearchGate site:

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Benson8

 

Selected publications

Books

Connelly, J., Smith, G., Benson, D. and Saunders, C. (2012). Politics and the Environment: From Theory to Practice. London: Routledge. 

Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) (2015) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Sundaram, S., Benson, D. and Mallick, T.K. (2015) Solar photovoltaic technology production: potential environmental impacts and implications for governance. Waltham MA: Elsevier. 

 

Journal articles

Gain, A.K., Benson, D., Rahman, R., Mirza, M.M.Q., Datta, D.K. and Rouillard, J.J. (2017) ‘Tidal River Management: a transdisciplinary water management approach in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta.’ Environmental Science & Policy.

Fritsch, Oliver, Adelle, Camilla & Benson, David (2017) 'The EU Water Initiative at Fifteen: Origins, Processes, and Assessment', Water International, DOI: 10.1080/02508060.2017.1330816

Benson, D., Bulkeley, H., Demeritt, D., Jordan, A., Murphy, J. and Selin, H. (2016) 'Environment and sustainable development scholarship: A celebration.' Environment and Planning C 48(9): 1679-1680.

Benson, D., Fritsch, O. and Langstaff, L. (2016) ‘Local flood risk management strategies in England: patterns of application.’ Journal of Flood Risk Management.

Nicolas Jager, Edward Challies, Elisa Kochskämper, Jens Newig, David Benson, Kirsty Blackstock, Kevin Collins, Anna Ernst, Mariele Evers, Judith Feichtinger, Oliver Fritsch, Geoffrey Gooch, Wiebke Grund, Beatrice Hedelin, Nuria Hernández-Mora, Frank Hüesker, Dave Huitema, Kenneth Irvine, Andreas Klinke, Leonie Lange, Delphine Loupsans, Mark Lubell, Carmen Maganda, Piotr Matczak, Marc Páres, Heli Saarikoski, Lenka Slavíková, Sonja Van Der Arend, Yorck Von Korff (2016) ‘Transforming European Water Governance? EU Water Framework Directive implementation in 13 member states.’ Water. 

Cook, H., Benson, D. and Couldrick, L. (2016)Partnering for bioregionalism in England: a case study of the Westcountry Rivers Trust’ Ecology and Society. 

Benson, D. and Lorenzoni, I. (2016) ‘Policy coherence and climate change adaptation in UK river basin management’. Regional Environmental Change. 

Gain, A.K., Giupponi, C., Benson, D., (2015). The water, energy and food (WEF) security nexus: the policy perspective of Bangladesh. Water International. doi:10.1080/02508060.2015.1087616

Benson, D., Lorenzoni, I. and Cook, H. (2015) ‘Evaluating social learning in UK flood risk management: an ‘individual-community interaction’ perspective’. Environmental Science & Policy. DOI:10.1016/j.envsci.2015.05.013

Maclean IM, Inger R, Benson D, Booth CG, Embling CB, Grecian WJ, Heymans JJ, Plummer K, Shackshaft M, Sparling C, Wilson B, Wright LJ, Bradbury G, Christen N, Godley BJ, Jackson A, Mccluskie A, Nichols-Lee R and Bearhop S (2014) ‘Resolving issues with environmental impact assessment of marine renewable energy installations’. Frontiers in Marine Science, 1: 75. doi:10.3389/fmars.2014.00075.

Vink, M., Benson, D., Boezeman, D., Cook, H., Dewulf, A. and Termeer, C. (2014) ‘Comparing deliberative governance of climate change adaptation in Dutch corporatism and British pluralism’. Journal of Water and Climate Change. doi.10.2166/wcc.2014.119

Adelle, C., Jordan, A., and Benson, D. (2015) ‘The Role of Policy Networks in the Coordination of the European Union’s Economic and Environmental Interests: The Case of EU Mercury Policy, Journal of European Integration, DOI: 10.1080/07036337.2015.1004632

Benson, D., Gain, A. and Rouillard, J. (2015) 'Water governance in a comparative perspective: from IWRM to a ‘nexus’ approach?' Water Alternatives, 8 (1).

Lorenzoni, I. and Benson, D. (2014) ‘Radical institutional change in environmental governance: explaining the origins of the UK Climate Change Act 2008 through discursive and policy streams perspectives’. Global Environmental Change. 29: 10-21.

Benson, D. and Xie, L. (2014) ‘Lessons for sustainable development from the UN’s global desertification regime’ E-International Relations, July 26th 2014.

Benson, D. and Lorenzoni, I. (2014) ‘Examining the scope for national lesson drawing on climate governance’. Political Quarterly, 85 (2). DOI: 10.1111/1467-923X.12080.

Benson, D., Kerry, K. and Malin. G. (2014) ‘Algal biofuels: impact significance and implications for EU multi-level governance’. Journal of Cleaner Production72 (1): 4-13.

Benson, D. and Russel, D.R. (2014) ‘EU energy task expansion: incremental or punctuated equilibrium?’ West European Politics. DOI:10.1080/01402382.2014.936707

Lugo, C., Jordan, A. and Benson, D. (2014) "The Role of Problem and Process Factors in Creating Effective Transboundary Water Regimes: the case of the Lake Victoria Basin, East Africa." International Journal of Water, 8 (4): 219-240.

Benson, D., Fritsch, O., Cook, H., Schmid, M. (2014) ‘Evaluating participation in UK river basin management planning: processes, communities, outputs, outcomes’. Land Use Policy. 38: 213–222.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2014) ‘Explaining task allocation in the EU: ‘retooling’ federalism for comparative analysis’. Journal of Common Market Studies. 52 (4): 794-809.

Rouillard, J.J., Benson, D., Gain, A.K. (2014) 'Evaluating IWRM implementation success: are water policies in Bangladesh enhancing adaptive capacity to climate change impacts? International Journal of Water Resource Development. DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2014.910756.

Gain, A., J. Rouillard and D. Benson, "Can Integrated Water Resources Management Increase Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change Adaptation? A Critical Review," Journal of Water Resource and Protection, Vol. 5 No. 4A, 2013, pp. 11-20. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2013.54A003.

Fritsch, O. and Benson, D. (2013) ‘Integrating the principles of IWRM? River basin planning in England and Wales.’ International Journal of Water Governance. 1 (3-4). DOI: 10.7564/13-IJWG7.

Benson, D., Jordan, A., Smith, L. (2013) Is environmental management really more collaborative? A comparative analysis of putative ‘paradigm shifts’ in Europe, Australia and the USA.’ Environment and Planning A 45 (7): 1695-712.

Russel, D.R. and Benson, D. (2013) ‘Green budgeting in an age of austerity: a transatlantic comparative perspective’. Environmental Politics. DOI: 10.1080/09644016.2013.775727

Benson, D., Jordan, A. Cook, H., and Smith, L. (2013) ‘Collaborative environmental governance: Are watershed partnerships swimming or are they sinking?’ Land Use Policy 30 (1): 748-757. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.05.016

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2012) ‘Policy transfer: still evolving, not yet through?’ Political Studies Review, 10 (3).

Benson, D., Jordan, A. and Huitema, D. (2012) ‘Involving the public in catchment management: an analysis of the scope for learning lessons from abroad’ Environmental Policy and Governance, 22 (1): 42-54.

Cook, H.F., Benson, D., Inman, A., Jordan, A. and Smith, L. (2012) ‘Catchment management groups in England and Wales: extent, roles and influence’. Water and Environment Journal, 26 (1): 47-55.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2011) ‘What have we learnt from policy transfer research? Dolowitz and Marsh revisited’. Political Studies Review, 9 (3): 366-378.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A., (2011) ‘Exploring the ‘tool-kit’ of EU integration theory: what role for cooperative federalism?’ Journal of European Integration 33 (1): 1-17.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2010) ‘The dynamics of climate policy expansion: how might the Lisbon Treaty influence the future of European Union policy making?’ St Antony’s International Review 5 (2): 121-140.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2010) ‘European Union environmental policy after the Lisbon Treaty: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose?’ Environmental Politics 19 (3): 468-474.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2010) ‘The scaling of water governance tasks: a comparative federal analysis of the European Union and Australia.’ Environmental Management, 46 (1): 1-16.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2008). ‘Understanding task allocation in the European Union: exploring the value of federal theory’. Journal of European Public Policy, 15 (1): 1-20.

Benson, D. and Jordan A. (2008). ‘Grand Bargain or ‘Incomplete Contract’? Environmental implications of the EU Reform Treaty’. European Energy and Environmental Law Review 17 (5) 280-290.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2004).Sustainability Appraisal in Local Land-use Planning: Patterns of Current Performance’. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 47(2): 269-286.

 

Book chapters

Benson, D., Gain, A., Rouillard, J. and Guipponi, C. (2016) ‘Governing the nexus: empirical, theoretical and normative perspectives’. In P.A. Salam et al. (eds.) Water-Energy-Food Nexus: theories and practices. AGU-Wiley. Forthcoming.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2016) 'Europe'. Oxford Bibliographies in Environmental Science.  New York: OUP. Forthcoming.

Parker, B., Malin, G. and Benson, D. (2015) ‘Algal biofuels: impacts, significance and implications’ In R.S. Singh, A. Pandey, E. Gnansounou (eds.) Biofuels: production and future perspectives, CRC Press. In Press.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2016). ‘Environmental Policy’. In M. Cini (ed.) European Union Politics, Sixth Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford. 

Benson, D. and Jordan, A.J. (2016) ‘Instrument choice and climate change’. In D. Farber and M. Peeters (eds.) Global Climate Law. In press.

Smith, L.S., Porter, K. and Benson, D. (2015) ‘The challenge of protecting water resources: an introduction and the purposes of this book’ In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Benson, D. and Porter, K., (2015) ‘Key questions about catchment management’  In L. Smith, K. Porter, K. Hiscock, M.J. Porter and D. Benson (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Benson, D. and Tarte, D. (2015). ‘The South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership, Australia’. In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Benson, D. and Hiscock, K. (2015) ‘Groundwater protection programmes in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands’. In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Porter, K., and Benson, D. (2015) ‘Getting started: partnerships, collaboration, participation and the role of law’. In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Hiscock, K., Porter, K., Krueger, T. and Benson, D. (2015) ‘Getting informed: tools and approaches for assessment, planning and management’. In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Benson, D. (2015) ‘Getting Things Done and Getting Results’. In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan. 

Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Benson, D. (2015) ‘Conclusions and future challenges’. In Smith, L.S., Porter, K., Hiscock, K., Porter, M.J. and Benson, D. (eds.) Catchment and River Basin Management: Integrating Science and Governance. London: Earthscan.

Jordan, A., Turnpenny, J., Benson, D., Rayner, T. (2015) ‘The tools of policy formulation: an introduction’, in A. Jordan and J. Turnpenny (eds.) The Tools of Policy Formulation: Actors, Capacities, Venues and Effects. 

Lorenzoni, I., Benson, D., Cook, H. (2015) ‘Regional rescaling in UK climate adaptation governance: from agency to collaborative control?’ in Jorg Knieling and K. Klindworth (eds.) Climate Adaptation Governance Theory, Concepts and Praxis in Cities and Regions. Chichester: Wiley. In press.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2015) ‘Environmental governance’, Douglas Richardson, Noel Castree, Michael Goodchild, Weidong Liu, Audrey Kobayashi, Richard Marston (eds.) The International Encyclopedia of Geography. Hoboken NJ: Wiley-Blackwell and the Association of American Geographers. Forthcoming.

Adelle, C., Benson, D. and Jordan A. (2015) ‘European Union’, in P. Pattberg and F. Zelli (eds.) Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Politics and Governance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. 

Cook, H., Benson, D., Inman, A. (2014) ‘Partnering for success in the UK: The Westcountry Rivers Trust’. In D. Huitema and S. Meijerink (eds.) The politics of river basin organizations: coalitions, institutional design choices and consequences. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. 

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2014) ‘Government’, in D. Rowe, S. Gentile and T. Link (ed.) Achieving Sustainability: Visions, Principles, and Practices. Macmillan. 

Jordan, A. and Benson, D. (2015) ‘Environmental Policy’ in J. Wright (ed.) International Encyclopaedia of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Elsevier. 

Benson, D., and Jordan, A. (2014). ‘Subsidiarity as a ‘scaling device’ in environmental governance: the case of the European Union’. In J. Meadowcroft and I. Weibust (eds.): Multilevel Environmental Governance: Managing Water and Climate Change in Europe and North Americas, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. 

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2013). ‘Environmental Policy’. In M. Cini and N. Perez-Solorzano Borragan (eds.) European Union Politics, Fourth Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

Jordan, A.J., Benson, D. and Rayner, T. (2013) ‘The Governance of Sustainable Development in the EU: Synthesis and Analysis. In: R. Cörvers, P. Glasbergen and I. Niestroy (eds.) European Union, Governance and Sustainability. Heerlen: Open University in the Netherlands.

Jordan, A.J., Benson, D. and Rayner, T. (2013) ‘The Governance of Sustainable Development in the EU: Looking to the future. In: R. Cörvers, P. Glasbergen and I. Niestroy (eds.) European Union, Governance and Sustainability. Heerlen: Open University in the Netherlands.

Jordan, A., Benson, D., Wurzel, R.K.W., Zito, A.R. (2012) ‘Governing with multiple policy instruments?’ In A.J. Jordan and C. Adelle (eds.) Environmental policymaking in the European Union. London: Earthscan.

Benson, D and Adelle, C. (2012) ‘European Union environmental policy after the Lisbon Treaty’ In A.J. Jordan and C. Adelle (eds.) Environmental policymaking in the European Union. London: Earthscan.

Jordan, A., Benson, D., Wurzel, R.K.W. and Zito, A.R. (2012) ‘Environmental Policy: Governing by Multiple Policy Instruments?’ In J. Richardson (ed.) Constructing a Policy-Making State? Policy Dynamics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jordan, A., Benson, D., Wurzel, R.K.W. and Zito, A.R. (2011). ‘Policy Instruments in Practice’ in J.S Dryzek, R.B. Norgaard and D. Schlosberg (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jordan, A.J. and Benson D. (2011) 'Environmental Policy'. In B.Badie, D. Berg-Schlosser and L. Morlino (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Political Science. Sage: London. Volume 3, pp.779-782.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2009). ‘Environmental Policy’. In M. Cini (ed.) European Union Politics, Third Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

Wilkinson, D., Benson, D. and Jordan, A.  (2008). ‘Green Budgeting’. In A. Jordan and A. Lenschow (eds.) Innovation in Environmental Policy?  Integrating the Environment for Sustainability.  Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2007). ‘Environmental Politics in Multi-level Governance Systems’. In C. Okereke (ed.) The Politics of the Environment: A Survey. London: Routledge.

 

Working papers/proceedings/abstracts

Schmid, M. and Benson, D. (2012) ‘An evaluation of public participation in UK river basin management planning’. Geophysical Research Abstracts. Vol. 14, EGU2012-66, 2012, EGU General Assembly, Vienna.

Laurence Smith, Hadrian Cook, David Benson, Alex Inman, and Andrew Jordan.
‘Surveying Community Based Catchment Management Groups in England and Wales’ Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-1448, 2011, EGU General Assembly, Vienna.

David Benson, Andrew Jordan, Hadrian Cook, Alex Inman, and Laurence Smith ‘A comparative analysis of collaborative watershed partnerships: are they swimming or are they sinking?’ Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, 2011-1274, 2011, EGU General Assembly, Vienna.

Benson, D. (2009) ‘Review article: constraints to policy transfer’. CSERGE Working Paper Series. Norwich: CSERGE.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2007). ‘Exploring the scale dimensions of water governance: a comparative federalism perspective on EU policy-making’. Proceedings of the CAIWA Conference, November 2007 Basel, Switzerland.

Benson, D., and Jordan, A. (2006). ‘Task allocation in the EU multi-level environmental governance system: the value of a federal perspective’. CSERGE Working Paper Series. Norwich: CSERGE.

 

Published book reviews

Benson, D. (2015) – Addressing tipping points for a precarious future (Tim O’Riordan and Tim Lenton eds. 2013) Environment and Planning C. Vol.33 (1): 218-219.

Benson, D. (2008) Transnational Politics of the Environment (Liliana Andonova, 2004). Environmental Politics, 17 (4).

Benson, D. (2005). Environment and Democracy in the Czech Republic: The Environmental Movement in the Transition Process (Adam Fagan, 2004). Environmental Politics, 14 (4).

Benson, D. (2005). European Environmental Law (Ludwig Krämer, 2003). Environmental Politics, 14 (1).

Benson, D. (2004). Federalism and Environmental Policy: Trust and the Politics of Implementation (Denise Scheberle, 2004). Environmental Politics, 13 (4).

 

Policy briefings/notes/written evidence

Russel, D., Turnpenny, T., Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2016) Inquiry on “Sustainability and HM Treasury” Written Memorandum of Evidence to the UK Government Environmental Audit Committee. Exeter: University of Exeter.

Benson, D. and Adelle, C. (2015) The EU Water Initiative: A Network Perspective. Policy Brief No. 04/2105. GovInn: University of Pretoria.

Russel, D., Turnpenny, J., Benson, D. Jordan, A. (2015) Submission to the Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on the Government’s approach to sustainable development. Exeter: University of Exeter.

Benson, D. Lorenzoni, I., and Langstaff, L. (2015) An analysis of actor collaboration in the Regional Flood and Coastal Committees. Research report. Penryn: University of Exeter.

Benson, D. Lorenzoni, I., and Langstaff, L. (2015) An analysis of actor collaboration in the Regional Flood and Coastal Committees. Policy note. Penryn: University of Exeter.

Benson D., (2010) The Australian National Heritage Trust / Caring for Our Country, extract from an unpublished working paper prepared as part of the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) funded project RES-229-25-0009-A, Catchment Management for Protection of Water Resources, SOAS, University of London and University of East Anglia.  Briefing note for DEFRA, London.

Benson, D., Jordan, A., Smith, L., Cook, H., Hiscock, K., Bright, D. and Inman, A., (2011) ‘Response to the Call for Evidence for the Inquiry into EU Freshwater Policy’. House of Lords EU Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Sub-Committee, Inquiry into EU Freshwater Policy. Written evidence. London: UK Parliament.

Benson, D., Russel, D., Fairbrass, J., O’Riordan, T., Adelle, C. (2012) Constructing the green economy: integrating sustainability for governance? Briefing note to the UK Government Environmental Audit Committee.

Jordan, A.J., Benson, D., Adelle, C., Rayner, T. (2013) Review of the balance of competences. Submission to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Defra regarding EU environment and climate change policy.

 

Oral evidence

Smith, L., Cook, H., Hiscock, K., Bright, D., Inman, A., Benson, D., Jordan, A. (2011) ‘Response to the Call for Evidence for the Inquiry into EU Freshwater Policy’. House of Lords EU Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Sub-Committee, Inquiry into EU Freshwater Policy. Oral evidence presented on submitted responses and further questions. London: UK Parliament.

 

Conference and workshop papers/posters

Duncan Russel and David Benson (2015) ‘The greenest United Kingdom never: a super veto players perspective on green budgeting. UACES 45th Conference, Bilbao. 7-9 September.

Benson, D. and Adelle, C. (2015) ‘Evaluating EU transnational network transfer: the Africa and EECCA Water Initiatives.’ The External Dimension of European Union Environmental Policy – pursuing environmental norms, rules and policies beyond borders. 2-4 June 2015, The Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Forthcoming.

Benson, D., Jordan, A. and Lorenzoni, I. (2014) 'Subsidiarity as a scaling device in global environmental governance? Lesson drawing from EU policy making. Subsidiarity in Global Governance. Hertie School of Governance, 19-20 June, Berlin.

Benson, D. Lorenzoni, I. (2013) ‘Climate governance: assessing the scope for policy learning’ European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR) General Conference, Bordeaux, 4-7 September.

Malin, G., Kerry, K. and Benson, D. (2013) ‘Is EU policy and governance up to the challenges of algal biomass production?’ British Phycological Society 61st Annual Meeting, 7-10 July 2013, Belfast.

Benson, D. and Russel, D. (2013) ‘The greenest government never? A super veto players perspective on the UK green economy.’ Green budgeting: integrating sustainability for governance? Spring 2013 ERSC Research Seminar Series on the Green Economy, 8th May, London.

Benson, D. (2012) ‘Resolving water conflicts through collaboration: developing a catchment management template’. European Sciences Foundation, ESF Junior Summit ‘Water: unite and divide’, Stresa, Italy – 27-30 August.

Benson, D., Jordan, A.J., Smith, L. (2012). ‘Collaboration or Agency Control? Measuring paradigm shift in catchment management’. Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers Conference, Edinburgh, 3-5 July.

Benson, D. and Russel, D.R. (2012) ‘EU energy regulatory expansion: incremental or punctuated equilibrium?’ European Consortium on Political Research Standing Group on Regulation & Governance 4th Biennial Conference: New Perspectives on Regulation, Governance and Learning. University of Exeter, UK, 27-29 June 2012.

Schmid, M. and Benson, D. (2012) ‘An evaluation of public participation in UK river basin management planning’. European Geosciences Union Conference, Vienna, 23-27 April.

Rozema, J., Bond, A., Chilvers, J. and Benson, D. (2012) ‘A Discursive explanation of the variance in public engagement and civil protest: understanding the role of democratic performance’. Political Studies Association, In Defence of Politics, Belfast 3-5 April 2012.

Benson, D. and Russel, D.R. (2011) ‘Climate budgeting in the EU: a UK perspective’. Exchanging Ideas on Europe, UACES Conference, Cambridge University, 5-7 September.

Russel, D.R. and Benson, D. (2011) ‘Green budgeting in an age of austerity: a transatlantic comparative perspective’. 61st Political Studies Association Annual Conference Transforming Politics: New Synergies, 19 - 21 April 2011, London.

Smith, L. Cook, H., Inman, A., Benson, D., and Jordan, A. (2011). ‘Surveying community based catchment management groups in England and Wales’. European Geosciences Union Conference, Vienna, April 3-8.

Benson, D., Jordan, A., Cook, H., Inman, A., and Smith, L. (2011). ‘A comparative analysis of collaborative watershed partnerships in the US and UK’. European Geosciences Union Conference, Vienna, April 3-8.

Benson, D. (2010) ‘Catchment management in the EU: exploring the scope for learning lessons’. Catchment Management for Protection of Water Resources, SOAS, London, 29th November 2010.

Cook, H., Benson, D. Smith, L.E.D., Jordan, A., Porter, K. and Porter, M.J. (2010). ‘River basin management: a comparison of experience in the UK and the USA’, The Conservation and Management Of Rivers: 20 Years On, An international conference, University of York, UK 6-9 September 2010.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2010) ‘Participation in catchment management in the EU: exploring the scope for lesson drawing from abroad’. Public participation and river basin management in WFD water planning, Lüneburg University, Germany, 1-3rd September 2010.

Smith, L., Cook, H., Inman, A., Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2010) ‘UK catchment management groups: a quantitative survey’. Water & Environment 2010 - CIWEM Annual Conference 28th - 29th April 2010, London.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2009). ‘Reconfiguring multi-level environmental governance: what are the institutional constraints to deeper collaboration in three federal systems?’ Presented at Whose job is this anyway? Solving environmental problems under multilevel governance: Lessons for/from the EU, the Centre for European Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa on August 27-28 2009.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2007). ‘Exploring the scale dimensions of water governance: a comparative federalism perspective on EU policy-making’. CAIWA Conference, November 2007 Basel, Switzerland.

Benson, D. and Jordan, A. (2006). ‘Scale and environmental governance in the EU’. IDGEC Synthesis Conference, 6th – 9th December 2006, Bali, Indonesia.
 

Research group links

Research interests

David Benson is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a background in both political and environmental sciences. His main areas of research are environmental politics, policy and governance in different national contexts.

Current research projects include:

Participatory approaches for enhancing transboundary cooperation on river basin flood management: the Lower Brahmaputra in Bangladesh

The lack of cooperation in managing transboundary water resources between India and Bangladesh is exacerbating downstream flood risk in the latter, thereby impacting its socio-economic development. One approach to enhancing transboundary cooperation is to involve multiple stakeholders, including the public, in managing flood risks. However, current transboundary river basin management institutions are top-down and government agency focused, with little input from flood affected local stakeholders. The project, supported by ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) funding, therefore aims to co-produce policy recommendations for better integrating public participation within transboundary river basin management institutions, in order to reduce flood risks, thereby enhancing socio-economic development.

Knowledge transfer on the sustainability benefits of concentrated solar water purification in India

India is experiencing chronic water shortages that are impacting its socio-economic development. Around 11% of its people currently do not have affordable access to clean water. Over-abstraction of groundwater and water pollution are widespread. Southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are particularly impacted by water shortages. One potential policy response is to promote photovoltaic technology for desalination of water resources, particularly in rural areas with no energy grid connections. Scaling up of prototype technology to the national scale is at a preliminary stage, providing significant opportunities for influencing national and local policy. The aim of this interdisciplinary project, supported by  ESRC Impact Accleeration Account (IAA) funding, is therefore to transfer knowledge to policy makers in India on the potential sustainability benefits of concentrated photovoltaic and thermal (CPV/T) membrane desalination (MD) as a basis for policy learning and innovation.

Integrated water resouces management as an approach for climate adaptation: comparative lesson drawing

Funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the research will develop a multi-national network of scholars to examine the capacity of integrated water resources management (IWRM) as a governance strategy for addressing adaptation to climate change. The network will collaborate with researchers and policy makers in Bangladesh to establish adaptation issues in this country. Comparative research will then be conducted into how IWRM in the UK, Italy, Germany, Canada and India is being employed to manage such impacts as a basis for lesson drawing for Bangladesh. This research will commence in September 2014.

Transnational Network Governance: Greening EU Africa Relations?

This research, supported by the British Academy Newton Fund, is led by Dr Camilla Adelle (GovInn, University of Pretoria). The funding will enable collaboration between researchers in the UK and South Africa to further develop analyses of the effectiveness of European Union policy transfer networks in Africa, with a focus on water and climate change network governance.

 

Recent completed research projects include:

Floods governance in the UK

Supported by the University of Exeter Discretionary Fund, this research will compare floods governance in two case study areas: the South West and East Anglia. Of particular interest to the research aims is how local actor preferences are integrated into central government flood management priorities.

Collaborative floods governance

This research project, funded by the ESRC's Impact Cultivation Award scheme, will seek to disseminate existing research on UK collaborative floods governance to stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and local government. Generation of research 'impact' will include the production of a research report, policy note and feedback sessions for policy actors.

Lesson-drawing on climate governance between the UK and Mexico

Conducted in collaboration with colleagues at the Free University of Berlin and the University of East Anglia, this research will examine how lessons on climate policy were transferred between the UK and Mexico via trans-national networks of policy actors. It will focus primarily on how the UK Climate Change Act 2008 influenced the development of Mexican national-level climate policy, which was adopted in 2013. The aim of the research is to determine the factors facilitataing transfer on climate policy innovations in order to make recommendations to other countries on how they could learn from UK approaches. The research is sponsored by the University of Exeter and will involve interviewing policy-makers in Mexico and the UK.

Catchment management in Brazil

Dr Benson is also Co-investigator on the CONFAP-RCUK Newton Fund project 'Participative governance and collaborative integrated management at catchment scale for sustainable intensification of smallholder family farming' which is led by Prof Laurence Smith, SOAS, University of London. The research aims to transfer lessons on multi-stakeholder participation in catchment management to Brazil from partners in the UK.

Comparative climate governance and lesson drawing

This research, funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office under its China Prosperity Strategic Programme Fund, was conducted in conjunction with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Jinan University. The research compared evaluative mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of UK and Californian climate policy as a basis for drawing lessons for potential transfer to the China context. Results will help inform provincial level policy in Guangdong and will also aid development of the next national five year plan.

Assessing the regulatory framework for algal biomass production in the EU

This research was conducted in partnership with InCrops at the University of East Anglia and Cambridge University as part of the EU INTERREG EnAlage project. The research compared national regulatory contexts for algal biomass production in six EU states and Switzerland in order to help provide recommendations for promoting future development of this emerging industry.

Constructing the green economy: integrating sustainability for governance?

This research, sponsored by the ESRC under its Research Seminar Scheme, examined how well the green economy is developing in the UK and other countries. It was particularly concerned with understanding the extent to which government fiscal cycles, businesses and social policy were integrating long term sustainability in order to achieve a 'greening' of the wider economy.


Dr Benson is also currently engaged in research into: collaborative catchment management; EU energy and transport policy; PV technology regulation; and policy tools development.

 

 

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