Governments 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 selfmanaged 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 placebased 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.
This paper responds to a call to address the development and building of river‐human relationships in the twenty‐first century. Many literatures have identified the historical instrumental exploitation of natural resources underpinning urbanisation and the economic development leading to wide‐spread degradation of environments including rivers. Clearly such relationships can no longer be considered as appropriate in the twenty‐first century. This paper intends to present a conceptual rethink to address the following question: Are there potential approaches by which humans can develop harmonious coexistent relationships with riverine landscapes and associated ecosystems? In answering this question, this paper draws on ideas from new materialism thinking. New materialism offers useful guidance in understanding human‐river relationships in which river landscapes are not static backgrounds to the performance of the social. River systems and environments are active participants influencing and shaping social performances through multiple and diverse interconnected and complex human‐nonhuman relationships and co‐productive partnerships. It is concluded that new materialist perspectives provide important guidance for developing harmonious river‐human relationships. De‐centring the human as the dominant actor in relations with river landscapes and acknowledging rivers as key actors within river‐human relationships may enhance the building of harmonious coexistent and mutually beneficial relationships in the twenty‐first century. It is further concluded the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) and Human‐River Encounter Sites (HRES) frameworks in their capacity to accommodate new materialist thinking provide an opportunity for further exploration and examination of the possibilities for building harmonious coexistent river‐human relationships.
<abstract> <p>Effective water resources management and water availability are under threat from multiple sources, including population growth, continuing urbanisation, and climate change. In this context, current water resources management requires a conceptual rethink, which is lacking in the urban water resources management literature. This paper addresses this gap by rethinking urban water resources management from a water-centric perspective. The paper discusses a conceptual rethinking of water resources management towards a water-centric water resources management system underpinned through combining nature-based solutions (NBS), green infrastructure, and water soft path approaches. It is concluded that through adopting a blend of NBS, green infrastructure, and water soft paths, a water-centric water resources management approach focused on achieving sustainable water availability can be developed. It is further concluded that in transitioning to a water-centric focused water resources management approach, water needs to be acknowledged as a key stakeholder in relation to guiding a transition to an effective holistic catchment-wide water-centric water resources management system focused on achieving sustainable water availability.</p> </abstract>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.