Transcript Laurence Smith inaugural 5 March 2014

Taking Care of our Waters:
People, Policy and
Practice
Professor Laurence Smith
5th March 2014
Outline
1. Introduction – from the global
to catchments
2. Two 2 approaches in our
research:
•
understanding rural water
pollution as a ‘wicked
problem’?
•
understanding what the
people getting it right do?
3. Some solutions
4. Q&A – but a ‘selfie’
The big picture, water, what have we got to manage?
A finite resource:
•total volume of water = 1.4 billion km3
• oceans 97%
• freshwater 3%, of this:
• ice caps and glaciers
77.2%
• groundwater & soil moisture
22.4%
• lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams 0.36%
Falkenmark, 1995
Ringersma et al., 2003
So how we manage
land matters!
Country
Renewable
freshwater per
capita, m3
Is there enough water?
•
•
•
•
•
agriculture accounts for 70% of all blue water
withdrawals
the poorest households in the developing world
depend on groundwater, soil moisture and fisheries
1.1 billion people lack a safe source of drinking
water
3 900 children die every day from water borne
diseases (WHO 2004)
pollution and degradation of water quality is
widespread
Water footprint
per capita, m3
(World Bank)
(Water Footprint
Network)
USA
9044
2842
China
2093
1071
India
1184
1089
UK
2311
1258
UAE
17
3136
Kenya
493
1101
Global
6000 (approx.)
1385
Yes, but:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
location matters
seasons and cycles matter
consumption matters
trade in food & fibre matters
wealth and power matters
energy use matters
sustainable stewardship
matters
The challenges are complex,
location specific and getting
tougher!
UNEP GRID-A 2009
From the Holocene to the Anthropocene, global water challenges:
•atmosphere now at 398ppm CO2 (January 2014), >350ppm risks unpredictable and
‘damaging’ climate change
•compared to pre-industrial times, surface ocean acidity has increased by 30%
•rising demand for food and water from population growth to 9 billion(?) in 2050
•> 45,000 dams above 15m high hold back 15% of the flow of rivers globally (> 6500 km3)
(Nillson et al, 2005)
•from the High Plains of North America, to southern and north-west India, and the northern
plains of China groundwater is being extracted at rates that far exceed recharge
From the Holocene to the Anthropocene,
global nutrient challenges:
•150% increase in nitrogen fixed on land – we convert
more nitrogen from the atmosphere into reactive forms
than all the Earth´s terrestrial processes combined
•8.5-9.5 million tonnes of phosphorus reaches the oceans
annually, 8x the natural background influx
•eutrophication - excess N&P over-fertilizes the water and
the volumes of algae and other biomass consumes all the
oxygen in the water (as it dies and decomposes)
Closer to home – catchment scale
Data from Environment Agency and Defra
Westcountry Rivers Trust
Blocked
gutters
Water
discharging
onto ground
Westcountry Rivers Trust
The catchment
management
problem:
How to protect and
manage water resources
in a catchment in which
people can live, work and
play?
How to achieve a living
and sanitary landscape
with a healthy ecology?
Westcountry Rivers Trust
Westcountry Rivers Trust
Measures and best
management practices to
address diffuse farm
pollution currently range
through:
The Mitigation Framework
• baseline good practice regulations
• ‘win-wins’ e.g. soil testing and
nutrient management
• capital investment e.g. increased
slurry storage, fencing streams
• lower intensity (income foregone)
e.g. reduced stocking density
• land use change (income
foregone/deferred) e.g. afforestation
• land acquisition for protected areas
The ‘mix’ of these needs to be well
‘tailored’ to local conditions, and
delivery by multiple agencies and
NGOs needs to be collaborative and
coordinated.
Defra
Area coverage
The Lancaster Env Centre
UEA
Westcountry Rivers Trust
And its not just about farming
• household septic systems
• sewage treatment works
• soil loss in construction
• stream corridor management
• restoration of river morphology and
wetlands
• spatial planning and economic
development
• education and awareness raising
• research, monitoring, modelling
• road runoff
• urban runoff
• water supply
• other waste
management
A mix beyond the capacity of
one organisation, needs
collaboration and coordination
2 approaches in our research:
Understanding rural water pollution as
a ‘wicked problem’?
Understanding what the people getting
it right do?
Catchment management
challenges
• inter-related problems of water
quality, over abstraction and flood
risk
• pollutant sources are numerous,
dispersed, with multiple &
uncertain pathways
• monitoring and regulation are
relatively costly
• problems are multi-sectoral
• polluting activities produce
food, rural jobs, tourist income,
etc.
• how to share costs?
• how to capture benefits & fund
improvements?
‘Wicked’ problems:
societal
uncertainty
wicked
problems
easy
problems
technical
uncertainty
• complex
• dynamic, uncertain
• diverse legitimate values
and interests
• no definitive problem
formulation
• many externalities
• multiple trade-offs
• intractable for a single
organisation
(Rittel & Webber, 1973) (Ludwig, 2001)
A ‘wicked’ diagnosis leads to:
•
•
•
•
•
inclusive stakeholder engagement
a broad response by civil society, businesses, local and national agencies and
scientists
decentralised collaboration and partnership working
a coordinating intermediary or lead
agency
a ‘twin-track’ (analytic-deliberative)
adaptive management approach
Rogers, 2007
US EPA , 2005
Explicit recognition and understanding of
this can inform policy, process and
governance design.
IRC/IAD/TCE/PCF
SCF
ACF and ADR






Institutional Rational
Choice
Institutional Analysis and
Design
Transaction Cost
Economics
Political Contracting
Framework
Social Capital Framework

Advocacy Coalition
Framework
Alternative Dispute
Resolution
collaborate if:
benefits > costs
s.t. resources available and
bounded rationality
‘virtuous circle’ of
trust-reciprocity-networks
fosters collaboration
advocacy coalitions share
normative beliefs and
perceptions, and
collaborate for common
objectives
transactions costs are key
norm-driven behaviour and
trust can reduce
transaction costs
degree of ‘belief conflict’ is
key,
institutional rules are basis for
trust and reducing
transactions costs
trust is a social norm that can
substitute for rules
trust can be difficult to
achieve, but facilitated
processes of conflict
resolution can work
e.g. Ostrom, 1990; North,
1990, Egertsson, 1990;
Lubell et al, 2002;
Sabatier et al, 2005;
e.g. Putnam et al, 1993;
Coleman, 1988; Leach et
al, 2002; Coglianese,
2002.
e.g. Sabatier et al, 1993;
Carpenter et al, 1988;
Susskind et al, 1999.
A network of 16
Soil and Water
Conservation
Districts in New
York and 3
Conservation
Districts in
Pennsylvania.
A Conservation District Coalition using a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) under NY and PA state law that allows multi-District agreements. The
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District is designated as the USC
Administrator, responsible for all contractual and other legal obligations.
Delaware County Action
Plan: NYC Watershed
From farm BMPs to wider measures:
• education and information campaigns
• monitoring and modelling
• farm nutrient management
• environmentally sensitive waste mgt.
• communities (septic systems)
• control of highway, storm runoff and road
salt application
• control of soil loss during civil works
• stream corridor management
• restoration of river morphology and
wetlands
• integration into planning and economic
development
•http://www.co.delaware.ny.us/depts/h2o/dcap.htm
0142 161 8
R Farm
Shaw Road
01421900
8
9
0142400103
10
36
#
18
37
12
#
S
#
#
#
#
S
#
01421614
35
27
#
S
#
#
S
#
26
01422389
Town Brook
01422500
#
S
#
#
S
41
T
$
#
S
28
33
42
38
13
#
30
31
#
43
11
19
#
S
20
34
32
#
S
#
S
01424108
5
1
2
3
4
6
7
01422738
#
21
17
40
16
14
22
29
39
15
T
$
#
25
23
24
01422747
T
$
#
S
01423000
Beerston
DEC C ontin uous W Q Station s
USG S Ga ugin g S tations
Stream s
W atershed
N
Cannonsville Reservoir
W
10
0
10
20
Kilom eters
E
S
Multiple barriers:
source
landscape
stream corridor
DCAP Partners
DCAP integrates all levels of government authority,
coordinates actions at County level by agencies
and other bodies, and preserves local planning
prerogatives.
Local
• Planning, SWCD, CCE, Eco.Dev, Farm Bureau,
DPW, Communities, NRCS, Chamber, IDA, WSA
 Regional
• CWC, DEP, WAC
 State
• WRI, DEC, DOH, DOS, DOT, Ag & Mkts,
NYSSWCC, Cornell, ESF
 Federal
• EPA, USDA, Army Corps

Healthy Waterways Partnership:
Operating principles and governance
commitment to working in a coordinated partnership structure in which all partners can be heard,
contribute to decision-making and implement agreed actions within their own spheres of
responsibility;
formulation of management strategies on the basis of sound science, rigorous monitoring and
adaptive learning.
implementation of management actions at the most appropriate level within a regional framework.
South East
Queensland
Policy Council/Board
•
•
•
•
•
Scientific
Advisory Group
(scientists from 5 local
universities, CSIRO,
State Agencies)
Implementation Groups
(5 Groups: Northern, Moreton
Coast, Moreton Bay, Western,
Southern)
Traditional
Owners Advisory
Group
Community and
Industry
Advisory Group
5 Implementation Groups
(~20 community,
catchment, industry,
environmental groups)
9 Local Governments
6 State Agencies
Community & Industry rep
Science Rep
NRM Regional Organisation Chair
SECRETARIAT
•
•
•
•
•
(15 staff members)
Administration
Science and Monitoring
Planning and Implementation
Healthy Waterways Campaign
Water Sensitive Urban Design
Capacity Building Program
www.healthywaterways.org
Components of a
catchment management
‘template’
An Adaptive Management Cycle
Source: US EPA Handbook 2005
• the complexity, dynamics and
trade-offs of catchment management
require an adaptive management
approach
• and a ‘twin-track’ of deliberative
partner and stakeholder engagement
supported by targeted scientific
research
www.healthywaterways.org
Build and Maintain Partnerships
Engage Stakeholders
Characterize Catchment
Identify Problems
and Solutions
Set Goals
Prioritize Solutions
Design and
Planning
Improve Plan
Implement Plan
Key
Pathways
Evaluation
Deliberation
Monitor Progress
Make Adjustments
Science
Components of a catchment management ‘template’
Governance
• Partnerships
• cross-sectoral and multi-level collaboration and coordination based on
recognised responsibilities and duties
• Stakeholder engagement
• integrate higher level policy for environmental and public health criteria with
local economic and social objectives
• enhance implementation with local knowledge, acceptance and ownership
• Locally led
• decision-making at the level appropriate to responsibilities for land and
water management, with provision for inter-locality cooperation and
coordination
• Transparency and accountability
• Funded – core (public) and from diverse sources
Components of a catchment management ‘template’
Capacity
• Locally accepted technical providers
• trusted experts and intermediaries to analyse, advise and mediate
• Comprehensive condition and threat assessments and planning
• ideally one integrated strategic plan to guide action plans, in accordance
with higher level regulation and policy directives
•Knowledge exchange
• synthesis and communication of information to decision makers, partners
and stakeholders through skilled intermediaries and communication and
decision-support tools
• Monitoring of performance and outcomes
• inherent to adaptive management, and to sustaining partner and
stakeholder engagement, and funding
• evaluation criteria to include environmental quality and sustainability,
cost effectiveness, and an accepted distribution of benefits and costs
Q&A – a ‘selfie’
1)Is this just academic? Can these principles
be put into practice? Can I get involved?
The catchment based approach
(CaBA) is being rolled out nationally
(93 management catchments in
England and Welsh borders).
Objectives are:
•To deliver positive and sustained
outcomes for the water environment
by promoting a better understanding
of the environment at a local level;
and
•To encourage local collaboration and
more transparent decision-making
when both planning and delivering
activities to improve the water
environment.
See:
http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/research/planning/131506.aspx
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/catchm
ent-based-approach-improving-the-quality-of-ourwater-environment
http://www.catchmentbasedapproach.net
http://www.theriverstrust.org/
The CaBA will develop partnerships and
locally owned catchment plans, filling the gap
between higher level river basin plans and
local projects.
2) What about the floods?
“Technically, we know the solutions. It is a lack of political will that
stands in the way” Professor Richard Ashley, University of Sheffield
“I’m really sorry we took the advice…..we
thought we were dealing with experts”
Minister, UK government
“Floods are like
snowflakes, none is
quite like another” Andrew
Princes William and Harry
have joined troops trying to
protect homes BBC
McKenzie, British Geological Survey
Adapted from a slide by
Ben Surridge, 2014
3) How does local action connect to
global challenges?
My key partners include: UEA,
Lancaster University, Cornell
University, Westcountry Rivers
Trust, The Rivers Trust, Defra Water
Policy Team, AEPI Tianjin, plus
many others.
Thank you for listening, for
more information, please
contact:
Laurence Smith
[email protected]
+44 (0)20 3073 8328