Participatory and evolutionary integrated lake basin management

Abstract

AbstractThis study discusses some fundamental institutional rationales to support the participatory approach of integrated lake basin management (ILBM). Based on five propositions for institutional change embodied within evolutionary economic thinking, an institutional change pathway (ICP) framework is constructed composed of eight institutional factors and four socioeconomic constraints. By merging the ILBM governance themes with the ICP institutional factors and socioeconomic constraints, an ILBM‐ICP matrix is developed. The ILBM‐ICP matrix indicates ILBM has focused on institutional factors of (i) opportunities, (ii) choices and (iii) incentives, with lesser emphasis on (iv) competition, (v) investment and (vi) payoff. For a more balanced institutional foundation for ILBM, incorporation of the financial mechanism of payments for improving ecosystem services at the watershed scale (PIES‐W) forms an effective complement to the ILBM concept. PIES‐W features the rationale of coordinating human stakeholders’ conservation services (CS) for improving ecosystem services with human stakeholders’ needs for ES as a basis for survival. This study calls upon the political and scientific communities to merge their visions and coordinate their actions in leading institutional improvement of ILBM so as to contribute to sustainable ecosystem governance.