Policy integration for adaptive water governance: Learning from Scotland's experience

J. J. Rouillard*, K. V. Heal, T. Ball, A. D. Reeves

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

This paper contributes to on-going attempts at bringing together two influential ideas in water governance: Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and adaptive governance. In particular, a tension remains between the call in IWRM for the use of formal institutions, such as river basin organisations, to secure public policy integration, and the assumptions in adaptive governance in favour of informal collaboration between essentially independent policy actors. To clarify this relationship, this article draws on theoretical research on public policy integration, and uses these insights in an empirical setting to identify mechanisms that can facilitate effective policy integration for adaptive water governance. The research is based on recent attempts in Scotland to implement IWRM ideas to improve flood management. Several governance mechanisms were adopted to facilitate the integration of flood, water and rural land use policies. Six Scottish policy regimes are analysed using documentary sources and interviews. Results challenge the idea that collaboration should primarily be built on either river basin organisations or informal mechanisms. We identify a mix of informal and statutory-based mechanisms which may secure political and technocratic commitment to policy integration. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)378-387
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Science & Policy
Volume33
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2013

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Integrated Water Resource
  • Management
  • Polycentric governance
  • Sustainable Flood Management
  • Rural land use
  • RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
  • FLOOD MANAGEMENT
  • LAND-USE
  • ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGE
  • ADAPTATION
  • CLIMATE
  • INSTITUTIONS
  • RESILIENCE
  • FRAMEWORK

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Policy integration for adaptive water governance: Learning from Scotland's experience'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this