The evolution of adaptive management for estuarine ecosystems: the National Estuary Program and its precursors

Facilitating Adaptive Management in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

“…Furthermore, an adaptive-management approach is included in plans to restore several large-scale, complex ecosystems, including the Everglades (LoSchiavo et al 2013;NRC 2016), Glen Canyon (NRC 2004Melis et al 2015), Kissimmee River (Spencer and Bousquin 2014), and sites included in the National Estuary Program (Imperial 1993) and the National Estuarine Research Reserves (https://coast.…”

Adaptation and Learning in Coastal Management: The Experience of Five East African Initiatives

“…Coastal management requires both understanding complex, dynamic ecological systems and creating governance systems capable of addressing issues of concern to society. Imperial, Hennessey, and Robadue (1993) observed that "this is perhaps one of the most demanding challenges in the field of environmental management." Responses to coastal issues require an understanding of the interplay between social processes and ecosystem change (Dryzek, 1997).…”

“…This is also the finding of a growing literature on adaptive natural resource management. Adaptive management can be a useful tool capable of overcoming some of the obstacles from which traditional management suffers (Gunderson, Holling, & Light, 1995;Hennessey, 1994;Holling & Sanderson 1996;Imperial, Hennessey, & Robadue, 1993). It is designed to cope with the uncertainty and complexity of ecosystems by creating spaces in which reflection and learning can occur and by allowing management processes to take action in light of new information (Berman, 1980).…”

“…The third principle of adaptive management is participatory processes that actively engage significant stakeholders in management practice, collective inquiry, and decision making (Imperial, Hennessey, & Robadue, 1993;Lee, 1993). Promoting an open process in which disparate interests and views are considered provides more space for ideas and knowledge to be shared.…”

Emergent Principles for River Management

“…management that is constantly monitoring and responding to internal and external change of the ecosystem and its social context, rather than management based on static 'ideal' blueprints. See for instance Imperial (1993) on estuarine ecosystems. With Kessler (2003), we may add here that adaptive management requires not only flexibility on the short term, but also a guiding vision of the very long term, a vision that is realistic and yet inspirational, not blocked by all constraints that may exist on the short term (contrary to the concept of 'target image'; Lenders et al, 1998).…”