Collaborative Water Governance Research Articles

Sámi trust in hydropower governance: A survey study

The collaborative water governance literature, especially that concerned with trust, has paid scant attention to Indigenous Peoples. In this paper, we present the results from a survey targeting the Sámi population in Sweden, exploring trust in key state and industry actors in the governance of hydropower. The results demonstrate a widespread signal of low trust, which is correlated with a confluence of factors: a strong concern with negative impacts from hydropower on Sámi culture, experiences of limited opportunities to influence decisions, and a perceived low competence as well as limiting attitude from governance actors. Regarding the role of demographic variables, we report on some notable deviations from previous research about institutional trust. We discuss how collaborative governance initiatives often-times are launched to strengthen trust, but that design and implementation failures can, counter-productively, serve to erode trust among Indigenous constituencies. If Sámi trust is to be strengthened, then it will require state authorities and hydropower companies to genuinely engage with Sámi rights claims and ensure influence in decision-making. Our findings also have direct policy relevance, pointing to the need for a steep learning curve if the pending review of hydropower licenses, launched by the Swedish government, is to play a meaningful role in addressing past and ongoing impacts of hydropower on the Sámi People.

Collaborative water governance model for potable urban water supply in Riau Province, Indonesia

ABSTRACT The literature suggests that collaborative governance is a promising framework for addressing complex public problems while some cases have also marked failure in its implementation. Furthermore, the complexities and factors of the collaborative governance context must be understood at the early stage, as they may affect its sustainability. Therefore, this study aims to understand ‘what works and what doesn't’ and the need for sustainability of urban potable water management in Dumai City, Rokan Hilir Regency, and Bengkalis Regency through cross-sectoral collaboration and develop the best model to be developed for this collaboration. This study uses a soft system methodology in the urban potable water supply system of Riau Province with a wide range of stakeholders through in-depth interviews, thematic analysis, and the creation of purposeful activity models and rich pictures to uncover and address complex issues. The study found that the implementation of collaborative water management in urban areas with the collaborative water governance approach has worked well in the short term. However, it has not enhanced organizational autonomy or fostered trust and reciprocity dimensions in the long term. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of a collaborative supervisory board that will open internal and external opportunities.

Evaluation of collaborative water governance in the Cinambo Sub-watershed, Bandung City (case study: Wetland Park Cisurupan)

The “Wetland Park Cisurupan” Retention Area development program is one of the multi-stakeholder collaboration programs in the Cinambo Sub-watershed initiated by Bandung City Public Works Agency. This retention area is expected to reduce water runoff to Gedebage Sub-Region. Collaborative governance efforts carried out at Wetland Park Cisurupan need to be evaluated to serve as lessons for stakeholders and as follow-up recommendations. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the extent to which the Cisurupan Wetland Park development program in the context of the cinambo sub-watershed has implemented the principles of collaborative water governance. To achieve this goal, this research uses qualitative descriptive methods. Data processing uses data sourced from primary data, namely observation, interviews, collecting big data from social media in the form of WhatsApp chat groups “Cisurupan Temporer”, “Strategic plan Cisurupan”, and “Cisurupan 4 october” as well as Instagram posts with the hashtag #wetlandparkcisurupan, interviews, then secondary data from government agencies and the internet. Based on the measurement of 23 indicators of collaborative water governance in the sub-watershed, it can be concluded that the Wetland Park Cisurupan program is sufficient to meet the principles of collaborative water governance in the sub-watershed. Communication between stakeholders in this collaboration, which is seen from WhatsApp and Instagram, is considered effective for coordination, increasing public participation, and avoiding latent conflicts becoming manifest by being open to the collaboration process. Facilitative leadership is one of the keys to consistency in collaborative governance.

Placing Stakeholder Formation in Central Oregon’s Deschutes Basin

This paper examines the processes by which “stakeholder” status is constructed, and the importance of sense of place to that construction in collaborative water resource governance processes. Water management often involves collaborative governance, but there can be differences between who has an interest in the outcome, and who is formally invited to participate as a “stakeholder.” We examine a case study of a collaborative water governance process in Central Oregon, and found that existing models of stakeholder formation present in scholarly literature did not fully explain the dynamics of stakeholder participation. We propose a two-step “Interest-Participation” model of stakeholder formation: to be considered stakeholders, a group must not only have an interest in the outcome but must actively navigate barriers to participation. We moreover argue that collaborative engagement is an embodiment of sense of place, emphasizing the importance of competing place meanings in resource governance processes.

Framing a social network analysis approach to understanding reputational power in the water governance of Johor, Malaysia

Abstract The challenge of collaborative water governance often lies in the complexity of the networks involved in its processes, particularly in understanding the location of power and how the reputational power can be executed for policy decisions. A case study of the state of Johor, Malaysia, was done with the goal of figuring out a method for mapping out reputational powers in the network of actors involved in the water governance of the state. To achieve this goal, this study deconstructs the different facets of the state’s water governance system by outlining the spatial, operational, and legal boundaries of various agencies. The fundamental issues identified through this step are the complexity that leads to fragmented water governance. A research framework is thus proposed, derived from a qualitative approach whereby through in-depth interviews, respondents are asked to rank the water-related agencies based on their perceived influence. These rankings derived from qualitative interviews are given weights and subsequently measured using parameters such as density and in-degree centrality to provide quantitative evidence of the reputational powers held by actors in the water governance network. The study supports the future use of the reputational power research framework to achieve collaborative water governance solutions.

Beyond engagement: Enhancing equity in collaborative water governance

AbstractCollaborative governance has emerged as a promising approach for addressing complex water sustainability issues, with purported benefits from enhanced democracy to improved environmental outcomes. Collaborative processes are often assumed to be inherently more equitable than traditional governance approaches due to their goal of engaging diverse actors in the development of policy and management solutions. However, when collaborative water governance processes ignore issues of politics and power in their design, they risk creating or even exacerbating existing inequities. How, then, can collaborative water governance processes be designed to enhance, rather than undermine, equity? To answer this question, we first conduct an extensive review of the collaborative governance literature to identify common design features of collaborative processes, which each present potential benefits and challenges for actualizing equitable collaborative water governance. After critically discussing these design features, we explore how they are executed through two case studies of collaborative water governance in western North America: groundwater governance reform in California and transnational Colorado River Delta governance. In reflecting on these cases, we chart an agenda for future collaborative water governance research and practice that moves beyond engaging diverse actors to promoting equity among them.This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water Governance Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change Engineering Water > Planning Water

Exploring social processes in transformation: the case of a collaborative water partnership in South Africa

ABSTRACT We explore the social processes supporting transformation towards collaborative water governance in the uMngeni catchment, South Africa. Using Holling’s adaptive cycle as a heuristic of phases (conservation, release, reorganisation and exploitation) present during transformation of social-ecological systems, we consider the role of learning, power, agency and structure during each phase of the evolution of the uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership (UEIP). The UEIP is a partnership between government, research institutions, and civil society groups that facilitates broader and more collaborative participation in water management. During the conservation phase, strong control power and institutional structure (denoted by a hierarchical governance mode embodying control and regulation by the State) limited the introduction of new ideas and reinforced single-loop learning. The release phase was triggered by a shock which weakened control power and permitted the introduction of new ideas thereby enabling double-loop learning. The changing conditions gave rise to protean power (defined as results of practices of agile actors coping with uncertainty) which enhanced the agency of key actors who began to mobilise others in a rapid phase of re-organisation. Triple-loop learning was evident in the exploitation phase as new collaborative institutions, that were better able to accommodate innovative ideas, began to emerge. We found the adaptive cycle helpful for delineating phases of change, while the four multi-faceted processes of learning, power, agency and structure proved useful in illuminating dynamics of change. This understanding may help to inform actions to steer transformations towards more sustainable and collaborative water governance in South Africa and elsewhere.

River Chief Information-Sharing System as a River Information Governance Approach in China

Controling river water pollution is one of the complex ecoenvironmental challenges facing China’s development today. The river chief information-sharing system (RCISS) in China is an institutional innovation carried out by the government to promote collaborative water governance in the era of big data. In order to explore the mechanism of the RCISS in China, this paper analyzed this system by establishing a theoretical analysis framework from the perspective of government data governance. Using this framework, this paper discussed the mechanism, institutional context and driving forces of the current river chief information-sharing system. Provincial-level practices of the RCISS were then analyzed in terms of information content, information transmission paths, intelligent platform and practice achievements, and finally the advantages and problems of the RCISS were summarized. The conclusions were drawn as follows: the river chief information-sharing system has huge advantages regarding the coordinated management of rivers, but there are problems regarding the imbalanced sharing of power among subjects and also disputes in terms of information security, fairness, authenticity and legality. This study provides insights into the operation of the RCISS and serves as a reference for other countries seeking a suitable solution to manage water environments.

Inhibiting Factors for Collaborative Water Governance: A Case Study of Mount Merapi Ecosystem in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The ecosystem around Mount Merapi, Indonesia, has many potential water sources. Still, poor management and a decrease in springs may lead to a water crisis in 2029 that could affect millions of residents in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study aims to identify the inhibiting factors for collaborative water governance under the threat of a water crisis. This research used qualitative descriptive research with data collected through interviews, documents, and observations. The analysis involved data reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing/verification to explore Yogyakarta's water management aspects. The study suggests that collaborative water governance involving multiple stakeholders, including non-government actors, is crucial for effective water management. The local government dominates water management, while private and community groups have minimal involvement. There is a need for more specific regulations that comprehensively regulate water management and conservation efforts in the regions. Water management in Yogyakarta is classified under traditional governance due to the limited involvement of non-government actors and the minimal participation space provided by the regional government. A comprehensive regulation is needed to address water conservation, and complete collaboration among stakeholders is necessary to overcome obstacles in the water management crisis.

Honouring Water: The Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Water Governance Framework

Collaborative water governance in Indigenous territories requires the building of a nation-to-nation relationship where different water worldviews and knowledges are acknowledged, valued, and included in water governance. This article presents the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Honour the Water Governance Framework, an alternative collaborative water governance approach in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Nêhiyawak principles, identity, knowledge, and self-determination are its foundation. Equitable dialogue is the central axis. The framework represents an alternative water governance structure to the current Canadian system that may more effectively respond to the water challenges of this First Nation. This framework supports the appeal from Mistawasis First Nation and other Nations, for the de-construction of hegemonic colonial water governance systems towards the co-construction of shared processes of water participation, decision-making, and responsibility.

Framing Water Policies: A Transdisciplinary Study of Collaborative Governance; the Katari River Basin (Bolivia)

Collaborative water governance deals with diverse actors under participatory systems of decision making. This form of water governance involves stakeholders with fundamentally different values and premises about water resources, as well as different understandings of the problem and how to approach it. Thus, one of the major challenges of collaborative water governance relies on the diversity of frames carried by stakeholders involved and the shift from hierarchical decision-making to a more collaborative and participative process. The fragmentation of frames can represent an obstacle, impede mutual understanding, and negatively influence decision making and policy outcomes. Based on participative observation, interviews, and document analysis, we explored the drivers behind the framing process in the multi-actor platform of the Katari River Basin, located in Bolivia. The results highlight a participatory process design favoring the fragmentation of frames and a unidirectional decision-making process, where public authority, scientific–technical expertise, and the local community’s knowledge are insulated, and communication among actors is asymmetrical. At the same time, this research reveals the influence of the political context in the framing process.

What Contributes to the Formation of Stable Collaborative Water Governance? A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Chinese Cases

Collaborative governance is a crucial approach to addressing cross-jurisdictional environmental problems. With the ample water resources across China, lack of coordination for water governance however has become a severe barrier to regional development. Taking the largest freshwater lake in east China – Lake Tai as an example and drawing upon intergovernmental collective action theory, issue salience theory, and resource dependence theory, this research explores how the combination of contextual factors and intra-alliance factors contribute to the formation of stable collaborative water governance. Specifically, we applied a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to examine the 32 collaborative water governance cases in Lake Tai basin from the year of 2010 to 2019, and found that the presence of governmental intervention is a necessary condition for shaping collaborative water governance in China, and two configurational pathways represent the issue-oriented model and path-dependence model, which provides possible insights for promoting inter-governmental collaborative governance in the future.

Challenges for environmental governance: policy issue interdependencies might not lead to collaboration

Policy actors address complex environmental problems by engaging in multiple and often interdependent policy issues. Policy issue interdependencies imply that efforts by actors to address separate policy issues can either reinforce (‘win–win’) or counteract (‘trade-off’) each other. Thus, if interdependent issues are managed in isolation instead of being coordinated, the most effective and well-balanced solution to the underlying problem might never be realised. This study asks if reinforcing and counteracting interdependencies have different impacts on perception and collaboration. Our empirical study of collaborative water governance in the Norrström basin, Sweden, shows that policy actors often avoid collaborating when the policy issues exhibit reinforcing interdependencies. Our evidence indicates a perceived infeasibility of acting on reinforcing interdependencies. We also find that actors do not consider counteracting interdependencies (‘trade-offs’) at all when they engage in collaboration. Further, even though actors were aware of counteracting and reinforcing interdependencies, our analyses suggest they might be less aware of the former. These findings illustrate that actors either avoid each other due to policy issue interdependencies or, at best, ignore existing interdependencies when engaging in collaboration. Our study highlights the importance of problem perception in accomplishing integrated solutions to complex environmental problems, and of how understandings of different types of interdependencies shape collaboration in environmental governance.

When Collaborative Water Governance Meets Authoritarian Environmentalism: The Dilemma of Safe Water Supply Project in Coal Mining Villages of China’s Shanxi Province

The framework of collaborative water governance (CWG) has been championed as a promising model for water management across the globe. China is a country confronted by serious water pollution and shortage problems. In recent years, many scholars and practitioners have turned to CWG as an effective model for water crisis management in China. However, the political nature of CWG and China’s Authoritarian Environmentalism is inherently conflictual, hence, the development of CWG in China poses a theoretical puzzle, i.e., how the bottom-up CWG model can coexist with the top-down Authoritarian Environmentalism in China’s water politics. To better understand this puzzle, this article explores CWG’s intertwinement with environmental authoritarianism through a case study of “safe water supply project” in 11 coal-mining villages in Shanxi province of North China. Drawing on fieldwork between 2019 and 2021 in H city of Shangxi province, this research shows that the central government’s pledge to provide safe water to every villager in rural China has not materialized so far. The dilemma of safe water supply in coal mining villages in H city shows that, on one side, the central government attempted to show its great will and commitment to providing safe water to everyone in rural China through an approach of environmental authoritarianism; while on the other side, the local governments tended to select the CWG model as a method for practical implementation as well as a blame avoidance strategy. Our study identifies five stakeholders in the villages’ safe water supply projects: the Department of Water Resources of the City Government, the Township Government, Coal Mining Enterprises, village cadres and villagers. The outcome of the safe water supply project in these villages is constrained by the transparency and trust deficit among stakeholders when facing cooperation and conflict management obstacles.

Indigenous nations at the confluence: water governance networks and system transformation in the Klamath Basin

Collaborative approaches to complex water quality problems can facilitate collective action across large watersheds with multiple, overlapping political jurisdictions, including Indigenous territories. Indigenous nations are increasingly engaging in collaborative water governance, in part, as a response to colonial legacies that have excluded Indigenous peoples from watershed management. This study uses social network analysis to explore emerging Klamath water governance networks. We seek to understand ongoing system transformation in contemporary water governance through tribal engagement in multi-jurisdictional water governance networks, from a system of Indigenous dispossession and exclusion (late 1800s-1980s) toward a yet unrealized system that centers Indigenous peoples. To envision the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous peoples in adaptive water governance, we first draw on criteria established by Indigenous water governance scholars. Then, we examine a snapshot of Indigenous participation in water quality governance in the Klamath Basin that focuses on the Karuk Tribe from 2018-2019. Specifically, Karuk tribal managers identified 21 different science-policy coalitions that they worked with on a range of water quality issues. We then used social network analysis methods to generate a network in which 210 different organizations were linked through co-membership in one or more coalitions. Our findings indicated that the Karuk and other Klamath Basin tribes play a central role in Klamath water quality governance and were not relegated to

The Influence of a Climate Change Narrative on the Stated Preferences for Long-term Groundwater Management.

The literature identifies cultural values and beliefs as key drivers of climate change risk perception, but evidence is lacking about how media narratives and cultural values influence preferences for adapting to environmental consequences of climate change, including groundwater shortage. We elicited groundwater preferences using a choice experiment survey involving outcomes of the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer. We randomly assigned respondents to an individualistic cultural narrative about climate change to test for framing effects predicted by culturally congruent and incongruent messaging. Results suggest that culturally incongruent messaging (i.e., to non-individualists) emboldens opposition and makes promoted groundwater policies less tractable. This is instructive to policy makers that identifying different stakeholders and avoiding incongruent messages about climate change could improve the effectiveness of collaborative water governance.

Place‐based collaborative governance: The potential influence of governments

AbstractGovernments seeking to implement state/territory‐wide or national agendas and policies can impose (un)intended impacts and consequences on self‐managed community‐led collaborative governance initiatives by which people attempt to solve place‐based environmental and resource problems. The impacts of government actions and changes to policy, funding targets and criteria, and local government reform on emergent place‐based and self‐managed community collaborative governance initiatives can be significant in relation to longevity and ongoing achievement of beneficial environmental outcomes. Such outcomes are irrespective of whether place‐based initiatives are considered to emerge in the shadow of government or independent of central government. This article establishes that place‐based self‐managed community‐led collaborative governance initiatives are not immune to the influences and consequences of state/territorial and/or federal government decisions and actions, be those through the development of environmental regulations and policies that direct actions and/or set targets for policy outcomes; the provision of funding to be administered according to set criteria; or, at state/territory government levels, forced local government amalgamations. Discussion about these issues is positioned in relation to a successful place‐based community‐led collaborative water governance initiative known as the Clarence Floodplain Project (CFP) in northern New South Wales, Australia. The experience of the CFP suggests that state/territory and/or federal government decisions and actions may result in (un)intended negative as well as positive impacts on place‐based community‐led collaborative governance initiatives. Although the CFP was impacted by government actions, its success also highlights the importance of place‐based approaches to natural resource management and governance.

Policy issue interdependency and the formation of collaborative networks

AbstractEnvironmental problems often span a set of challenges that each may engage different policy actors across different policy domains. These challenges, orpolicy issues, nonetheless exhibit interdependencies that may constrain the ability of actors to work together towards joint solutions.Still, we have limited knowledge about whether and how policy issue interdependencies actually shape how actors collaborate.Using data derived from two venues for collaborative water governance in the Norrström basin, Sweden, we investigate whether and how policy issues and policy issue interdependencies influence actors' selection of collaborative partners. We test two alternative sets of propositions; one set assumes that partner selection is driven by actors' engagement in policy issues and their interdependencies, while the other set emphasises social positions and actor attributes.Our results show that in one venue, actors' choices of collaborative partner were associated with factors from both sets, but not with policy issue interdependencies specifically. In the other venue, only actor and relational attributes shaped social tie formation. These results suggest that how actors interact does not necessarily align with the policy issues and the policy issue interdependencies defined by the environmental problem they are to address.Our results provide an important step towards arriving at evidence‐based recommendations for more effective collaborative efforts in addressing complex environmental problems that no actor can address alone.A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Advancing Collaborative Water Governance: Unravelling Stakeholders’ Relationships and Influences in Contentious River Basins

Collaborative water governance (CWG) has emerged as a promising framework to tackle water management challenges. Simple identification of participants however is not enough to unravel the intricacies of stakeholders’ interlinkages, roles and influences for robust CWG. A clear understanding of the stakeholders’ landscape is therefore required to underpin CWG. In this work, we combine stakeholder analysis (SA), social network analysis (SNA) and participatory processes (PP) under a theoretical collaborative governance framework to advance CWG in the contentious Rapel River Basin (RRB), Chile. By combining these techniques, we identified a cohort of leading (and secondary) stakeholders, their relationships and critical roles on basin-wide CWG-enabling networks (collaborative ties, information flows and financial exchanges) and their influence to achieve a shared vision for water planning. The results show members of this cohort perform critical roles (bridging, connecting and gatekeeping) across the networks and in influencing explicit elements of the shared vision. Specific CWG-enabling networks properties indicate a weak adaptive capacity of stakeholders to deal with potential water management challenges and strong prospects for sharing innovative ideas/solutions and achieving long-term water planning goals. A major CWG implementation challenge in the RRB is the lack of a leading organisation. One way forward would be formally organising stakeholders of the identified cohort to advance CWG in the RRB. By implementing the methodological framework, we facilitated social learning, fostered trust among stakeholders and mobilised efforts towards implementing CWG in practice in the contentious RRB.

Accounting for account-abilities: Examining the relationships between farm nutrient measurement and collaborative water governance dynamics in Canterbury, New Zealand

Water quality has become a significant concern for the New Zealand public. The source of its decline in recent years has been largely attributed to the expansion of the dairying industry, and its improvement, a focal point of environmental management. A collaborative model has been developed in the Canterbury region, where committees have been created including government representatives, water management experts, farmers, and non-farming community members. These committees develop water management plans in a water catchment and can be seen to embody a form of socialising accountability where different groups hold each other accountable and share responsibility. One feature of the plans is the establishment of nitrogen loss thresholds for farms in a catchment, implemented through a highly technical form of nutrient modelling. Drawing from interviews and observations in Canterbury water governance networks, we argue that there is a tension between collaborative forms of environmental governance that seeks to socialise accountability, and nutrient modelling that de-socialise accountability in practice. We discuss how these tensions may challenge participatory forms of governance.