Social Learning Through Local Water Governance Institutions

Abstract

This paper attempts to answer the question, has the creation of local water governance groups improved water governance through social learning? The study reviews and assesses a sampling of local water governance groups in the three Canadian Prairie provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, based on their legislation and policy mandate, planning and activities to date in respect to social learning. Important to adaptiveness to climate change are processes of social learning which go beyond production of new and additional knowledge but include reflecting and re-evaluating, building capacity, creating trust, incorporating local knowledge, and internalizing externalities into water governance decisions. The three local water governance groups studied in each of the three Prairie Provinces show positive developments in social learning and improved water governance. There is evidence of new data accumulation, application of existing data and local knowledge to decisions, capacity and trust building, as well as ongoing planning and re-evaluation. This review and comparative analysis provides important insights into the development of policy surrounding the mandates and activities of local watershed advisory groups to improve their effectiveness, increase social learning surrounding their activities and reduce vulnerability to climate change.