Collaborative governance and watershed management in biosphere reserves in Brazil and Canada

Abstract

Water management within vulnerable ecosystems managed by multiple jurisdictions can be very complex. This study compares regulatory environments and deconstructs the approaches used for watershed governance and environmental management inside two UNESCO's Biosphere Reserves to identify possible transferability between the two management entities. Three methodological approaches were applied: participatory observation, in-depth interviews of key informants, and document research. We concluded that while there are differences between the regulatory frameworks and localized practices, at a foundational level the goals and desired outcomes relating to environmental protection are not dependent on location, but mainly on the integration and the establishment of common objectives among the diverse social actors involved in the management and from the interaction between different organisms of social control. Additionally, there are elements in the application of regulations and practices in both locales that could be transferred to other jurisdictions interested in addressing watershed protection in vulnerable ecosystems governed by multiple jurisdictions.Keywords: biosphere reserves, ecosystem based management, watershed committees.Governança colaborativa e gestão de bacias hidrográfica em reservas de biosfera no Brasil e Canadá RESUMO A gestão da água dos ecossistemas vulneráveis contida em múltiplas jurisdições pode ser muito complexa. Este estudo compara os ambientes regulatórios e desconstrói as abordagens utilizadas para a governança das bacias hidrográficas e o gerenciamento ambiental dentro de duas Reservas da Biosfera da UNESCO para identificar possíveis transferências entre as duas entidades de gerenciamento. A metodologia empregada na investigação empregou entrevistas com informantes-chave, observação participante e análise documental. Concluímos que, embora existam diferenças entre os quadros regulatórios e as práticas localizadas, em um nível fundamental, as metas e os resultados desejados relacionados à proteção ambiental não dependem da localização, mas fundamentalmente da integração e do estabelecimento de objetivos comuns aos diversos atores sociais envolvidos na gestão e da interação entre diferentes organismos de controle social. Além disso, existem elementos na aplicação de regulamentos e práticas em ambos os locais que poderiam ser transferidos para outras jurisdições interessadas em abordar a proteção de bacias hidrográficas em ecossistemas vulneráveis governados por várias jurisdições.Palavras-chave: comitês de bacias hidrográficas, gestão ecossistêmica, reservas da biosfera.

Sustainable Water Management and the 2030 Agenda: Comparing Rain Forest Watersheds in Canada and Brazil by Applying an Innovative Sustainability Indicator System

“…Postulating that water provision for multiple uses is essential regarding development issues and that neither global prosperity nor health is possible without access to fresh water, the thrivability appraisal focuses on SDG 6 and IWRM practices. The thrivability indicator system was conceived at the regional level from qualitative evidence brought forth by survey discourse analysis and tested in two hydrographic regions in the state of Rio de Janeiro [21,41]. The analysis was then applied to of HR-VIII and the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region.…”

“…The Thrivability Appraisal is an adaptation of the principles used by long-enduring institutions for governing sustainable resources described in the literature, considering the interrelation of the seven sustainability principles [38] with the three principles for water governance derived from the literature about IWRM [39] along with the guiding questions of the common interest [40]. The conceptual framework is described in full detail elsewhere [21,41]. For each of Ostrom's seven sustainability principles, four individual subcomponents have been defined.…”

Hydrological modelling applied to flooding assessment in the urban coastal city in Brazil

“…The RH-VIII covers the Macaé River Basin, the Ostras River Basin, the Imboassica Lagoon Basin, and other small coastal creeks and wetlands as described elsewhere (Ferreira et al, 2018). Encompassing a preliminary cost analysis, the RH-VIII's RBMP proposes interventions to promote ecosystem recovery and water conservation, necessary to guarantee the multiple water uses of the regional river basins.…”