Publication

Alex López Alberola, Leon Hermans, Ellen Minkman,Wijnand Veeneman

This study investigates the practical merits and limitations of adaptive governance, an approach aimed at guiding the intricacies of climate adaptation in complex socio-technical ecological systems. Despite its recognition as a key strategy, questions persist regarding the potential of adaptive governance as a vehicle for meaningful adaptive change. To address this gap, this paper investigates the governance context of the water-adaptation process to drought and salinity in The Netherlands, with a focus on coastal agriculture in the northern Netherlands. Using an interpretative science approach, the study delves into the experiences and subjectivities of stakeholders engaged in adaptation initiatives combating water-related challenges through semi-structured and conversational interviews. The study presents an exploration of central adaptive governance elements (polycentricity; knowledge and learning; leadership; flexibility and variety; and communication) in theory and relates these to the reality of involved actors. The findings reveal how the aspired polycentric and flexible nature of adaptive governance negatively affects the other elements in practice by affecting collaboration and motivation for adaptation, and observes that (perceived) central leadership is much less influential than expected. The findings contribute to our understanding of the governance of lasting adaptivity, highlighting that the adaptive governance paradigm, although it remains useful, must be re-evaluated for contemporary use. Opportunities for the field are discussed.

Mijo Luke , Risper Ajwang’ Ondiek , Fides Izdori , Gitima Das , Sumit Vij

With climate change and political uncertainties, policies worldwide have undergone several reforms, promising transformation for improving water access and usage. However, unsustainable and unequal outcomes persist in several countries. The article investigates the gap between the rhetoric and reality of transformation within the existing water-related policies in two South Asian and two East African countries. We unravel the key elements of transformation within the water sector by employing an analytical framework of policy characteristics, scalability, power-sensitive-inclusivity, reflexivity, institutional flexibility, and temporality (SPIRIT). Our study analysed the presence of these characteristics in the existing water-related policies in four countries: Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Tanzania. A total of 65 policy documents were analysed from India (n = 26), Bangladesh (n = 19), Kenya (n = 12), and Tanzania (n = 8). Our findings show that the policies from India and Bangladesh follow a techno-managerial approach to transformation and have short-term vision with a national focus. The policies have limited focus on power sensitivity and do not include marginalised actors such as fisherfolk and small boat traders. The East African policies advocate change at multiple scales (local, and transnational), value the participation of marginalised groups in the policy-making process, and encourage collaboration across various sectors and stakeholders to address emerging issues, but lack temporality. We conclude that water sector policies in these countries are not transformative despite years of reform and promises made. Therefore, there is a need for politicisation and pluralisation of the transformation process to design pathways.