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[Display omitted] • This is the first time that the landscape heterogeneity on the China-Nepal Highway has been characterized. • We evaluated the suitability of ecological restoration techniques by distinguishing heterogeneous landscapes. • An adaptive management system for ecological restoration techniques along the China-Nepal Highway has been established. • Heterogeneous landscapes have a significant impact on the implementation of Ecological Restoration Techniques (ERT), and each ERT has spatial suitability. Heterogeneous landscape environments can lead to varying effectiveness of ecological restoration techniques (ERT). Distinguishing heterogeneous landscapes for adaptive management in ecological engineering projects is key to maximizing their ecological benefits. This paper conducted a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of different ERTs in the Effect Zone of the China-Nepal Highway. The study firstly divided the China-Nepal Highway Effect Zone into seven ecoregions using the SKATER spatial clustering algorithm. Seven spatial-physical factors, including annual average rainfall (RAIN), annual average temperature (TEMP), vegetation supply water index (VSWI), altitude, relief ratio (RR), slope (S), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TP), and total phosphorus (TP), are used for analysis, and watersheds are used as the smallest clustering unit. Secondly, an index system for evaluating the effectiveness of different ERTs was constructed, and the entropy weight method was used to determine the weight of each indicator. Furthermore, four evaluation methods, RSR, TOPSIS, VIKOR and FCE, were used to conduct a fuzzy Borda combined evaluation of the effectiveness of different ERTs at distinct ecoregions. The results suggest that the varying resilience of different ecoregions is likely the major reason in causing the differences in the effectiveness of ERTs. Lastly, we constructed an adaptive management system for ecological engineering projects along the China-Nepal Highway based on the spatial suitability of ERTs in each ecoregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvest strategies, also referred to as management procedures, are foundational to evidence-based fisheries decision making. Together with closed-loop simulation testing, termed Management Strategy Evaluation, of potential harvest strategies, they are considered to be best practice. However, the use of these approaches is still mostly limited to a small minority of high-value, data-rich stocks in developed economies. The Indonesian tropical tuna fisheries provide a rare real-world experience where formal empirical harvest strategies were being developed for data-limited fisheries within a developing economy as an operational management tool. The Harvest Strategy Framework is a departure from a previously open-access fishery for tropical tuna in Indonesian archipelagic waters. It outlines the necessary actions to operationalize the harvest strategy, including fisheries monitoring, harvest control rules, associated management measures to meet the management objectives, and immediate actions to reduce the levels of catch as a precautionary measure until the harvest strategy is fully implemented. It was developed over a 9-year national consultative process, commencing in 2014 and culminating in the official adoption of the framework in June 2023. This paper outlines key processes and challenges encountered in stakeholder engagement and technical capacity development within the intricate governance context of Indonesia. We argue that the engagement processes have cemented a future direction towards sustainable and best practice fisheries management in Indonesia and the effective co-production process has potential to show the way for other fisheries in coastal developing states who face similar challenges in managing their national and internationally shared stocks. • Rare example of formal harvest strategies in a developing economy. • Complex multi-species, multi-gear, multi-scale fisheries. • Changes in key personnel, institutional structure caused major disruptions. • Knowledge co-production processes led to institutional capacity development. • Lack of secure funding for resource monitoring remains as key challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development is the framing concept assuring that resources are exploited while maintaining the ability of these natural resources to provide for future generations. With human dependence on marine resources increasing, Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) has been identified as a suitable approach to ensure sustainable development. In order to achieve this, the core principles and elements of EBM should be operational in the maritime/marine spatial planning (MSP) process to ensure that human activities in marine space are ordered to attain ecological, economic and social objectives. However, policies from various states and organizations sometimes do not set a clear precedence for translating principles of EBM and present different and complex approaches to an ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (EB-MSP). Again, a feasible methodology for EBM to be operational in MSP is still vague. This paper therefore presents results from a survey and review of MSP initiatives in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Results showed that essential MSP steps and elements such as adaptive management, setting of planning boundaries, understanding and analysing the ecosystem and future conditions are not fully operational. This paper focuses on a methodology for EB-MSP and gives recommendations on how to ensure that EBM is operational at each stage of an MSP process. It stresses the importance of setting planning boundaries beyond jurisdictional borders to consider bio/eco-regions and cover near-shore waters, the need to have a cross-sector integration, understanding the ecosystem through having an ecosystem service perspective and having a legal framework to ensure that results from monitoring and evaluating of plans are adapted through review and revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the Galapagos National Park Directorate, sponsored by various international non-governmental organizations, initiated a comprehensive marine and terrestrial spatial planning process to improve the management effectiveness of Galapagos' protected areas. This effort aimed to reconfigure management areas by expanding or redistributing no-take zones to protect Key Biodiversity Areas and ensure the conservation of at least 30% of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the Galapagos. However, this process encountered significant challenges, notably the erosion of fishers' trust following the implementation of a "Marine Sanctuary". This top-down decision resulted in socio-political tension, compelling the Ecuadorian government to delay the implementation of the new marine zoning until there was conclusive scientific data on its socio-economic impact on local small-scale fishers' livelihoods. This paper examines the achievements and shortcomings of the Galapagos zoning update process, highlighting the successful integration of scientific zoning criteria and the enhanced protection of critical biodiversity areas, together with the reduced support from fishers and legal disputes. To move forward, we recommended a bottom-up approach centered on rebuilding trust among the fishing community via innovative engagement strategies and the introduction of market incentives to promote sustainable practices. Assessing the long-term impact of no-take zones is essential for refining management approaches. Additionally, the application of cutting-edge technology within an adaptive co-management model is recommended to improve fisheries and ecological data gathering and analysis, facilitating proactive and well-informed management decisions. Our suggestions aim to reconcile conservation objectives with the needs and aspirations of the local communities in this iconic archipelago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive management and related fields have theorized new governance strategies that embrace complexity and are able to respond effectively to changing and unpredictable biophysical dynamics. However, this body of work pays inadequate attention to important on-the-ground realities, including feasibility of implementation and the power dynamics embedded in multi-scalar systems of environmental governance. This paper presents findings from a research project on challenges to adaptive management in the variable wetland ecosystem of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Many residents of this rural region rely on transitional agricultural practices, shifting between dryland and floodplain farming in response to dynamic precipitation and flooding patterns. Higher than average floods in 2009–2011 inundated many floodplain fields past the point of production, causing farmers to shift to the dryland for multiplem seasons. At the same time, the highly centralized Government of Botswana began to implement stricter regulations over floodplain resources, which stemmed in part from a new adaptive management plan developed for the region. As a result, many farmers felt pressured by the government to abandon transitional livelihood practices and to shift permanently to dryland agriculture even though many preferred to continue floodplain farming. This loss of a responsive livelihood strategy will likely result in decreased long-term adaptive capacity for many residents. Drawing on these findings, this paper advances the argument that if adaptive management is to become a viable option for communities in changing environments, more attention must be given to the role of unequal power relations in multi-scalar systems of environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is impacting upon global marine ecosystems and ocean wide changes in ecosystem properties are expected to continue. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been implemented as a conservation tool throughout the world, primarily as a measure to reduce local impacts, but their usefulness and effectiveness is strongly related to climate change. MPAs may have a role in mitigation through effects on carbon sequestration, affect interactions between climatic effects and other drivers and be affected themselves as the distributions of protected species change over time. However, to date, few MPA programmes have directly considered climate change in the design, management or monitoring of an MPA network. This paper presents a series of international case studies from four locations: British Columbia, Canada; central California, USA; the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand; to review perceptions of how climate change has been considered in the design, implementation, management and monitoring of MPAs. The results indicate that some MPA processes have already incorporated design criteria or principles for adaptive management, which address some of the potential impacts of climate change on MPAs. Key lessons include: i) Strictly protected marine reserves are considered essential for climate change resilience and will be necessary as scientific reference sites to understand climate change effects ii) Adaptive management of MPA networks is important but hard to implement iii) Strictly protected reserves managed as ecosystems are the best option for an uncertain future. Although the case studies addressed aspects of considering climate change within MPA networks and provided key lessons for the practical inclusion of these considerations, there are some significant challenges remaining. This paper provides new insights into the policy and practical challenges MPA managers face under climate change scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar PVs are widely proposed as sustainable alternatives to electricity generation from fossil fuels to fulfil the ever-growing energy demands. They have demonstrated great potentials to mitigate devastating environmental impacts of power generation; but, is it enough for a sustainable development? The aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how large scale deployment of solar power generation would affect sustainability of a community energy infrastructure. Along with site-specific environmental impacts, cost and social dimensions of sustainability are also considered throughout the life cycle of energy systems and fuels. The proposed framework acknowledges different perspectives and captures the complexities and limitations of power generation. We developed a multi-criteria sustainability appraisal framework to evaluate and compare the sustainability of two different fuel mix scenarios. In this study, accountability of the energy system as well as the safety and resource depletion issues are included as Social Impacts by introducing proper indicators. Assessment results indicated that solar PVs performance has to be improved in cost and social sustainability criteria. The paper also explores the challenges and complexities of sustainability evaluation of energy systems and identifies the bottlenecks of solar PVs deployment in large scales. We concluded that the rate of large-scale penetration of photovoltaics with the purpose of sustainability enhancement should be addressed by adaptive management approaches examining energy demands, solar PV manufacturing and efficiency improvement trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Lakes are influenced by established aquatic invasive species (AIS) and the threat of new invaders persists. Grass carp, one of four species commonly referred to as Asian carp, are considered invasive because of their ability to adversely modify aquatic habitat through consumption of aquatic macrophytes. Grass carp have been infrequently detected in the Great Lakes since the mid-1980s. More frequent reports of grass carp captures from commercial fishermen in the early 2010's elevated the concern of the potential risk of colonization in Lake Erie. This paper provides a case study detailing the development and implementation of a multi-jurisdictional response strategy for grass carp in Lake Erie. To respond to threats of grass carp in Lake Erie, Michigan and Ohio Departments of Natural Resources led targeted responses using a collaborative multi-jurisdictional approach, while simultaneously investing in reducing critical life-history uncertainties to refine strategies in an adaptive and science-based manner. Efforts to address uncertainties about grass carp life history documented spawning in two Lake Erie tributaries. Building on these early responses, the binational Lake Erie Committee developed a five-year adaptive response framework to guide response actions. The collaborative response efforts resulted in the capture and removal of 184 fertile grass carp since 2014, and efforts are ongoing to increase effectiveness of strategies to achieve desired population reduction. Coordinated grass carp response actions under the five-year strategy will continue using adaptive management principles with outcomes providing useful insights for adapting existing response frameworks and more broadly for AIS responses implemented elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas play an important role in the preservation and implementation of bold environmental agreements, among which the 20 Aichi Targets (Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, COP 10), with their focus on effective management systems supporting the conservation of biodiversity and eco-system services (Aichi Biodiversity Target 11). The aim of this paper is to illustrate the MEVAP (Monitoring and EValuation of Protected Areas) methodology, Italy's contribution to the topic of evaluating the effectiveness of protected areas within the international landscape (WDPA–IUCN, World Database on Protected Areas – Union for Conservation of Nature ). The purpose of MEVAP is to provide a periodical review procedure as part of the process to improve the management of protected areas. Its starting point is the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data pertinent to the environmental, social and economic aspects of protected areas and to their governance. This paper illustrates the results obtained using the MEVAP method and its application to several clusters of Italian national parks. While highlighting the potential of this method, the document also proposes an initial assessment of the environmental, social and economical performance of protected areas and how performance is connected to its governance. Underpinning the study is the need to expand the use of evaluation practices and to spur scientific debate in the direction of widely spread adaptive management methods, with a view to optimising policies and management procedures and, therefore, achieving the protection targets that must be met by protected areas through their institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty is ubiquitous in ecological management. Failing to acknowledge and inappropriately address uncertainty may lead to negative consequences. In this paper, taking Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve (QMNR) as an example, we explored the uncertainties that China's ecological management of protected areas are facing and then proposed methods to mitigate them. Firstly, we classified the uncertainties into four categories, namely environmental uncertainty, human realm uncertainty, non-independence of events and interactions, and decision-making uncertainty, respectively. Then, the impact of the uncertainties on ecological management is analyzed. We found that uncertainty exists throughout the whole management process, human domain-related factors and decision uncertainties have the strongest influences. At last, we provided a conceptual model to mitigate the uncertainties. The core idea of the model is adaptive management that combines enhanced scientific research, improved decision-making process, and development of law and institution. With the model, the uncertainties facing ecological management would be much more effectively identified, and then would be easily responded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged worldwide as a tool for sustainable ocean governance. This paper reviews how sustainability and ecosystem-based management (EBM) have been included so far within the MSP general framework, by carrying out: (1) a review on the links between sustainability, EBM and MSP in EU maritime policy initiatives; (2) an analysis on the differences between ecosystem-based MSP versus MSP focused on delivering blue growth; and (3) a discussion on how adaptive management may address some of the main challenges found in achieving sustainable ocean management. From the EU Green Paper (2006) to the MSP Directive Proposal (2013), MSP processes based on the principle of EBM have been recognized as a necessary tool to ensure maritime sustainable development. Although ecosystem-based MSP has been recently presented as the best way to ensure both ecosystem conservation and development of human activities, most national and European MSP initiatives seem to follow a MSP approach focused in delivering blue growth. A challenge, therefore, arises: how to adjust policy decisions to properly preserve ecosystems and the services they provide? If truly implemented, an adaptive approach seems to be a way forward in ensuring that spatial planning, management and policy-making in marine spaces can be continuously adjusted, thus allowing for sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Social Impact Assessment (SIA) has traditionally been practiced as a predictive study for the regulatory approval of major projects, however, in recent years the drivers and domain of focus for SIA have shifted. This paper details the emergence of Social Impact Management Plans (SIMPs) and undertakes an analysis of innovations in corporate and public policy that have put in place ongoing processes – assessment, management and monitoring – to better identify the nature and scope of the social impacts that might occur during implementation and to proactively respond to change across the lifecycle of developments. Four leading practice examples are analyzed. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards require the preparation of Environmental and Social Management Plans for all projects financed by the IFC identified as having significant environmental and social risks. Anglo American, a major resources company, has introduced a Socio-Economic Assessment Toolbox, which requires mine sites to undertake regular assessments and link these assessments with their internal management systems, monitoring activities and a Social Management Plan. In South Africa, Social and Labour Plans are submitted with an application for a mining or production right. In Queensland, Australia, Social Impact Management Plans were developed as part of an Environmental Impact Statement, which included assessment of social impacts. Collectively these initiatives, and others, are a practical realization of theoretical conceptions of SIA that include management and monitoring as core components of SIA. The paper concludes with an analysis of the implications for the practice of impact assessment including a summary of key criteria for the design and implementation of effective SIMPs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Monitoring and auditing are regarded as essential activities for process control and follow up, which contribute to improving performance in organizations and provide a key role in preventing or reducing environmental harm. However it is not unusual to find them confused with each other in the academic literature. This paper provides a detailed literature review of theoretical and review papers in order to clarify concepts and characteristics of environmental monitoring and auditing; and to suggest ways forward which can overcome this confusion. It was found that confusions stemmed from considerations of: similarities, hierarchy, overlaps, scope, risk issues and timeliness. The development of accounting and auditing over time was found to have led to a flexible understanding of follow up practices, and the disregard of adaptive management as originally understood in the impact assessment field. It is suggested that adaptive management, recovered from impact assessment and recent specific literature, can be applied to improve environmental monitoring and auditing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the context of new tools suitable for making local authorities more pro-active in terms of effectiveness in environmental management, this paper analyzes the case of the application of EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) to local authorities in Italy. EMAS is a European tool that was revised in 2009 with Regulation (EC) N. 1221/2009, named EMAS III. This paper has two goals. The first goal is to analyze how the local authorities, with an environmental management system registered under EMAS, evaluate the environmental aspects related to their activities. The second goal is to propose a set of specific indicators to be monitored, which would fulfill the EMAS III compulsory core-set of indicators. To do this all the EMAS registered public authorities in Italy have been contacted to obtain a copy of their most recent validated environmental statements. Then, for each environmental aspect considered, a matrix has been processed, reporting on related activities, environmental significance, indicators, and environmental targets to improve the performance of the EMS. The analysed environmental statements (75% response rate) deal with a high number of environmental aspects and refer to a wide range of activities carried out by the local authorities. The set of indicators demonstrates that registered local authorities have already enough information for the purpose of complying with the new EMAS III core indicators. On the contrary, EMAS III does not properly cover the several environmental issues and impacts faced by local authorities, so that a different, wider and more specific framework is needed for their environmental performance evaluation. As a result of this study, a set of 13 indicators has been proposed, based on those already in use by local authorities and on those used by the European Environment Agency for environmental assessments. Therefore, this paper can represent a first step towards the definition of sectorial reference guidelines that will be developed at the European level by the European Commission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper extends the uncertainty framework of adaptive management to include uncertainty about the objectives to be used in guiding decisions. Adaptive decision making typically assumes explicit and agreed-upon objectives for management, but allows for uncertainty as to the structure of the decision process that generates change through time. Yet it is not unusual for there to be uncertainty (or disagreement) about objectives, with different stakeholders expressing different views not only about resource responses to management but also about the appropriate management objectives. In this paper I extend the treatment of uncertainty in adaptive management, and describe a stochastic structure for the joint occurrence of uncertainty about objectives as well as models, and show how adaptive decision making and the assessment of post-decision monitoring data can be used to reduce uncertainties of both kinds. Different degrees of association between model and objective uncertainty lead to different patterns of learning about objectives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wetlands have been declining worldwide over the last century with climate change becoming an additional pressure, especially in regions already characterized by water deficit. This paper investigates how climate change will affect the values and functions of Mediterranean seasonally-flooded wetlands with emergent vegetation. We simulated the future evolution of water balance, wetland condition and water volumes necessary to maintain these ecosystems at mid- and late- 21st century, in 229 localities around the Mediterranean basin. We considered future projections of the relevant climatic variables under two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios assuming a stabilization (RCP4.5) or increase (RCP 8.5) of greenhouse gases emissions. We found similar increases of water deficits at most localities around 2050 under both RCP scenarios. By 2100, however, water deficits under RCP 8.5 are expected to be more severe and will impact all localities. Simulations performed under current conditions show that 97% of localities could have wetland habitats in good state. By 2050, however, this proportion would decrease to 81% and 68% under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively, decreasing further to 52% and 27% by 2100. Our results suggest that wetlands can persist with up to a 400 mm decrease in annual precipitation. Such resilience to climate change is attributed to the semi-permanent character of wetlands (lower evaporation on dry ground) and their capacity to act as reservoir (higher precipitation expected in some countries during winter). Countries at highest risk of wetland degradation and loss are Algeria, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Degradation of wetlands with emergent vegetation will negatively affect their biodiversity and the services they provide by eliminating animal refuges and primary resources for industry and tourism. A sound strategy to preserve these wetlands would consist of proactive management to reduce non-climate stressors. Unlabelled Image • Seasonal wetlands with emergent plants provide multiple services to humankind. • Water deficit will increase heterogeneously across the Mediterranean Basin. • Wetland degradation is expected at 73% of localities under RCP8.5 in 2100. • Amount of water needed to maintain wetland functions and values is provided. • Practitioners can use mar-o-sel.net to anticipate local impacts of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the changing states of the food resources in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem under multiple stressors from 1958 to 2015, including the changing states of biomass yields, species composition, trophic level and biodiversity. The results show that the changing trends were contrary to expectation. There were no significant declines in biomass yields, trophic level and biodiversity after the 1980s. The major decline observed occurred before the 1980s. However, the species composition changed a lot, that is, over the past half century there were two different types of species shift in YSLME under multiple stresses. One was from demersal, high value species to pelagic, lower value species shift during 1958–59 to 1998–2000, and the other was from pelagic, lower value species to demersal, low value species shift during 1998–2000–2014-15. For future sustainable development, it is still necessary to further strengthen adaptive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The role of traditional fishing institutions appears, paradoxically, to be waning despite scientific support and rhetoric about the value of fishers' involvement in local marine management. Relational data of fishers have been used in this paper as a lens through which to explore the status of their participation in Marine Protected Area (MPA) management and to identify structural and contextual barriers to participation. Fieldwork was carried out during 2013–2015 in Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas MPA (CPH-MPA) using a mixed method approach involving the collection and analysis of data from institutional surveys and community meetings. The analysis shows that the fishers' self-perception of having low influence in decision-making is consistent with the perception towards fishers of the wider social system. Several barriers and constraints to participation in CPH-MPA management are identified. The inefficient structure of the information exchange network further explained fishers' feelings of distrust and marginalisation regarding decision-making. Understanding how structural barriers make it difficult to set in motion a collective learning process – necessary for an efficient decision-making process – breaks new ground for the design of interventions. Recommendations include clarifying the scope for participation in an appropriate institutional setting and careful consideration of the space in which dialogue takes place in order to integrate diverse knowledge and to acknowledge differential power relations. Highlights • Stakeholders' involvement in decision-making has positive consequences at individual, institutional and community level. • Stakeholders' participation in the management of MPAs is limited by structural barriers. • Network analysis of stakeholders' perceptions allows identification of structural barriers. • Systemic interventions can foster collective learning, which will improve management effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A complex controversy emerged when the grey seal population in the Baltic Sea recovered after decades of stagnation. The seals now cause substantial economic losses to coastal fisheries. The paper analyses the attempts taken in Finland to mitigate the problems of fishermen. The mitigation attempts include the hunting of seals, fishing technology development, economic compensations and more comprehensive management approaches. These measures are discussed in light of the long-term sustainability and adaptability of a coastal fishery. This question is important with respect to further discussions on the possibility of the coastal fishery’s co-existence with seals and sheds light on more general goals for the adaptability in the management of social–ecological systems. The paper concludes that the more comprehensive measures taken have acknowledged the need to enhance the fishery’s adaptability, but the managerial approach they represent falls short of the requirements for successful adaptive management, especially in terms of embedding the management into specific coastal contexts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Ganga Basin, one of the world''s most densely populated and vulnerable regions, is also among the world''s most dynamic hydrological systems. Rivers exiting the Himalaya deposit massive amounts of sediment in the plains and shift their courses regularly. The natural dynamics of this system have a direct impact on populations. On August 18th, 2008, for example, embankments on the Kosi River (a tributary to the Ganges), failed and the channel shifted by as much as 120km (Sinha, 2008 [1]) displacing over sixty thousand people in Nepal and three and a half million in India. Transport and power systems disrupted across large areas. The embankment failure was not caused by an extreme event. Instead the breach represented a failure of interlinked physical and institutional infrastructure systems in an area characterized by complex social, political, and environmental relationships. Projected climate changes in the Ganga Basin are likely to greatly exacerbate vulnerability (Adaptation Study Team, 2008 [2]). While the Kosi breach had nothing to do with climate change, such events will increase if climatic variability, sediment transport, and extreme events increase. Understanding how populations can respond to the dynamic nature of rivers such as the Kosi is, as a result, essential to develop strategies for adapting to climatic change. Understanding is also essential at the policy level for building adaptive capacity. The challenge is to identify policy frameworks and their relationship to interlinked physical and institutional infrastructure combinations that create environments enabling adaptation within households, communities, and regions. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing the development of adaptive policy frameworks in the Ganga Basin. The characteristics of frameworks that are adaptive in themselves and enable adaptation along with their relationship to different types of interlinked institutional and infrastructure systems are explored first. Following this, the case of the Kosi embankment along with the projected impacts of climate change across the Ganga Basin is used to identify the key challenges and opportunities that are common in many regions. The paper concludes with specific observations on the development of adaptive policy frameworks for responding to climate change in complex developing country contexts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent large scale disasters have challenged institutions improve the effectiveness of their emergency response strategies. During the 2005 Katrina flood disaster in the United States institutions utilized different emergency response strategies with varying degrees of success. In this paper we consider the case of the Katrina hurricane to identify successful strategies that enable institutions to respond effectively and at the appropriate scale. The importance of cross-scale linkages matched to the size and needs of the disaster is discussed as a central component of socio-ecological resilience. A general strategy of adaptive management is proposed that emphasizes the importance of participatory planning with institutional actors where both initial response organizations, as well as institutions involved in longer term recovery are involved in emergency response exercises. Institutions should develop linkages that promote legitimacy, trust and the development of social capital that facilitates integrated and coordinated emergency response. The paper concludes by noting that new threats will require increased coordination, higher levels of institutional flexibility, and greater attention to issues of connectivity in disaster response management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Integrated environmental resources management is a purposeful activity with the goal to maintain and improve the state of an environmental resource affected by human activities. In many cases different goals are in conflict and the notion “integrated” clearly indicates that resources management should be approached from a broad perspective taking all potential trade-offs and different scales in space and time into account. However, we are yet far from putting into practice integrated resources management fully taking into account the complexity of human-technology-environment systems. The tradition of resources management and of dealing with environmental problems is characterized by a command and control approach. The increasing awareness for the complexity of environmental problems and of human-technology-environment systems has triggered the development of new management approaches. The paper discusses the importance of focusing on the transition to new management paradigms based on the insight that the systems to be managed are complex adaptive systems. It provides arguments for the role of social learning processes and the need to develop methods combining approaches from hard and soft systems analysis. Soft systems analysis focuses on the importance of subjective perceptions and socially constructed reality. Soft systems methods and group model building techniques are quite common in management science where the prime target of management has always been the social system. Resources management is still quite slow to take up such innovations that should follow as a logical consequence of adopting an integrated management approach. Integrated water resources management is used as example to provide evidence for the need to implement participatory and adaptive management approaches that are able to cope with increasing uncertainties arising from fast changing socio-economic conditions and global and climate change. Promising developments and future research directions are discussed. The paper concludes with pointing out the need for changes in the scientific community to improve the conditions for interdisciplinary, system-oriented and trans-disciplinary research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper argues that to prevent or lessen the impact of episodic water stress within modern political economies, harnessing and tailoring emerging modes of legitimacy will play a crucial role in formulating pragmatic, solution-focused policy. In setting out a case for this position, we analyse the role which existing and novel modes of legitimacy play in shaping the boundaries and opportunity spaces for policy tool development. Central to the arguments outlined is a rethinking of the concept and practise of ‘legitimacy’ to include informal relationships between actors and amongst institutions. Legitimacy''s re-evaluation is pertinent as existing demand management elements of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) become increasingly ineffectual in the face of escalating water stress. This paper''s focus is on the interface between IWRM and socio-political values associated with potable water. This leads us to concentrate almost exclusively on public water supply issues within developed countries. It is argued that adaptive water management techniques will play a key role in policy development; but only if strategies recognise the need to engage with the diverse range of legitimacy models which typify late-industrial societies. The paper reviews theories of state action, civic participation and sovereignty to explore, through the use of case studies, what types of legitimacy models, and what types of policy to enact these models, could be used to support strategies to alleviate water stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 and the U.S. Global Change Research Program in 1990 led to the extensive study of complex global change during the past decade, often referred to as integrated assessment (IA). Integrated assessment models (IAMs) are analytical tools for conducting integrated assessments. IAMs include a variety of quantitative models as well as scenario-based approaches, which are more recent attempts to integrate social systems and values into integrated assessment. However, social systems and values change in response to results from policy actions, or in response to new information obtained after such actions are taken. Therefore, full integration of scientific models and concerns about social values can only be achieved in models that incorporate decisions, actions, and information gathered from such actions. It is the inadequate incorporation of the consequences of sequential policy decisions (such as the elimination of currently available policy choices, or the creation of new ones) that limits the usefulness of IAMs in informing policy decisions. This paper proposes the use of Markov decision processes (MDPs) as a policy decision tool for integrated assessment and demonstrates the utility of this approach using a simple numerical example. In addition to proposing a MDP decision model, this paper advocates adaptive management (AM) as the decision-making process to embed the decision model. It is argued that AM is inherently suited as a decision process for integrated assessment, particularly due to its key tenets of experimentalism (“learning by doing”), multi-scalar analysis and place-sensitivity. Thus, this paper makes an important contribution by enhancing the usefulness of integrated assessment as a policy decision tool, rather than merely an analytical one. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Adaptive management is the pathway to effective conservation, use and management of Australia’s coastal catchments and waterways. While the concepts of adaptive management are not new, applications involving both assessment and management responses are indeed limited at the national and regional scales. This paper outlines the components of a systematic framework for linking scientific knowledge, existing tools, planning approaches and participatory processes to achieve healthy regional partnerships between community, industry, government agencies and science providers to overcome institutional barriers and uncoordinated monitoring. The framework developed by the Coastal CRC (www.coastal.crc.org.au/amf/amf_index.htm) is hierarchical in the way it displays information to allow associated frameworks to be integrated, and represents a construct in which processes, information, decision tools and outcomes are brought together in a structured and transparent way for adaptive catchment and coastal management. This paper proposes how an adaptive management approach could be used to benefit the implementation of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (RWQPP). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A major challenge in natural resource management in developing countries is to pursue conservation objectives while avoiding negative impacts on local livelihoods. Inland capture fisheries provide opportunities to demonstrate an integration of conservation and livelihood objectives when managed as a social-ecological system. While numerous marine no-take reserves have been found effective for the recovery of fisheries, few well-documented examples exist in the freshwater realm. Research gaps also remain in the role of co-management in balancing various management objectives and resolving conflicts. This paper offers critical reflection on adaptive co-management of fish conservation zones (FCZs) in the Mekong River in Cambodia and its social-ecological outcomes as perceived by local stakeholders. The management approach was found generally effective for the local stakeholders to negotiate between conservation and livelihood objectives at key stages of the implementation, and resolve conflicts; however, the lessons learned were not uniform across all sites. The degree of difficulty in conflict resolution was mainly a function of the fishing dependency of local communities on the protected site, the prevalence of severe poverty in adjacent villages, and the availability of livelihood options other than fishing. Growing stakeholder perception over time, of the FCZs as yielding positive outcomes—for both conservation and livelihood—motivated the local communities to create more FCZs. We argue clear recognition by local stakeholders of the achievements and the fairness in the FCZ management, facilitated through participatory approaches, can improve their acceptance of conservation rules and enhance their effectiveness. However, long-term mechanisms to support these community initiatives technically and financially are needed. Simple yet scientifically robust approaches for tropical freshwater fisheries monitoring, including periodical assessments of indicator species, are also needed to facilitate performance evaluation of specific management measures locally. • Critical reflection on fisheries conservation in the Mekong River is offered. • Adaptive co-management helped balance conservation and livelihood outcomes. • No-take zones facilitated basic fish conservation measures led by local fishers. • Fishers perceiving livelihood benefits of conservation supported no-take zones. • Long-term mechanisms to support community-led conservation initiatives are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelp forests are highly productive habitats which support important marine species and ecosystem services including coastal protection and carbon storage. Demand is increasing for commercial products from wild and cultivated kelp, however questions remain on how harvesting of wild kelp can be managed and governed in a sustainable and adaptive way. This paper analyses and contrasts the institutional arrangements for wild kelp harvesting in Scotland and Norway by examining three recent governance processes through document analysis and participant observation. We investigate to what extent the regimes display three foundational aspects of adaptive governance: local governance and participation; the use of knowledge; and legal adaptive capacity. Industrial harvesting has been underway for decades in Norway but is not yet practiced in Scotland, although kelp availability and traditional usage are similar. In Scotland, following extensive public objection in response to proposed industrial harvesting, a legal restriction was adopted in 2019 that prohibits industrial harvesting of whole plants, and the regulatory regime remains under review. In Norway, governance of kelp harvesting is designed to be adaptive and inclusive through periodic review of regional harvesting regulations, yet has not been adjusted despite contestation from stakeholders. In both cases, adaptive governance processes are indicated but are not influential on outcomes. Our paper reveals several obstacles to knowledge-based adaptive governance in practice. First, it is insufficient to create the processes of engagement and participation - these must be empowered to influence governance and remain legitimate. In both cases, the regimes remain hierarchical and dominated by central agencies, even though structures for local governance are available. Second, integrating scientific and local knowledge was shown to be difficult, and mechanisms to debate and negotiate risks and benefits were lacking. In each case, diverging perspectives on kelp harvesting were sustained even though final outcomes were reached, and consensus was elusive. Third, adaptive capacity of applicable legal instruments is of crucial importance, with differences apparent in capacity to enable on-going revision (as in Norway) and limit future change (in Scotland). Poor co-ordination between legal instruments also leads to complications between actors with different mandates and policy objectives. Recommendations are made for an adaptive approach to protect and manage kelp as a critical habitat. • Kelp supports diverse ecosystem services and is a contested resource. • Opportunities for adaptive governance exist but hierarchical regimes dominate. • Informal networks are powerful and can influence the highest level of government. • Arenas for balanced debate and negotiation across scales are needed. • Independent actors are needed to broker inclusive adaptive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil infrastructure systems and communities are continually subjected to changes in environmental and urban settings, evolving expectations and preferences of the public, tightening budgets, and unpredictable political circumstances over their service lives. Conventional decision methods, which determine optimal strategies based on stationary risk assessments and current knowledge, are not well suited for infrastructure systems/communities situated in evolving environments. There is a growing need to account for such evolutions in life-cycle risk assessment through adaptable, learning-based decision-making. Adaptive decision-making is a structured process of learning, improving understanding, and ultimately adapting management decisions in a systematic and efficient way, aimed at reducing uncertainties over the course of the management timeframe. This approach to risk management holds great potential for dealing with future challenges, by explicitly recognizing situational evolutions and improving decisions through learning. This paper investigates possible dynamic changes in the conditions of civil infrastructure systems/communities and their potential effects on life-cycle performance. A systematic adaptive decision process is proposed as a way to continually reevaluate the risks and provide more adaptive and flexible management actions to enhance infrastructure/community resilience under evolving conditions. Sequential Bayesian updating is utilized to reduce uncertainty and leverage the continuous accumulation of knowledge. Finally, the proposed adaptive decision methodology is illustrated with a benchmark problem based on a testbed residential community in Kathmandu, Nepal, to examine its feasibility and effectiveness in managing evolving risks. The results show that evolving exposure and vulnerability would increase future risks to the community and such risks could be effectively managed through adaptive decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangelands of the western Great Plains of North America are complex social-ecological systems where management objectives for livestock production, grassland bird conservation, and vegetation structure and composition converge. The Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM) experiment is a 10-year collaborative adaptive management (CAM) project initiated in 2012 that is aimed at fostering science-management partnerships and data-driven rangeland management through a participatory, multistakeholder approach. This study evaluates the decision-making process that emerged from the first 4 yr of CARM. Our objectives were to 1) document how diverse stakeholder experiences, epistemologies, and resulting knowledge contributed to the CARM project, 2) evaluate how coproduced knowledge informed management decision making through three grazing seasons, and 3) explore the implications of participation in the CARM project for rangeland stakeholders. We evaluated management decision making as representatives from government agencies and conservation nongovernmental organizations, ranchers, and interdisciplinary researchers worked within the CARM experiment to 1) prioritize desired ecosystem services; 2) determine objectives; 3) set stocking rates, criteria for livestock movement among pastures, and vegetation treatments; and 4) select monitoring techniques that would inform decision making. For this paper, we analyzed meeting transcripts, interviews, and focus group data related to stakeholder group decision making. We find two key lessons from the CARM project. First, the CAM process makes visible, but does not reconcile differences between, stakeholder experiences and ways of knowing about complex rangeland systems. Second, social learning in CAM is contingent on the development of trust among stakeholder and researcher groups. We suggest future CAM efforts should 1) make direct efforts to share and acknowledge managers’ different rangeland management experiences, epistemologies, and knowledge and 2) involve long-term research commitment in time and funding to social, as well as experimental, processes that promote trust building among stakeholders and researchers over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we summarize how current and projected climate changes are expected to impact material cultural heritage in Puerto Rico. As case study, we also conducted a spatial analysis vulnerability assessment of coastal heritage sites below 20 meters in elevation. Results from the analysis show that of the 1185 known cultural heritage sites below 20 m in elevation in Puerto Rico, 27 sites are inundated at today's highest high tide, 56 will be inundated by mid-century when assuming a 0.6 m rise in sea-level, and 140 sites will be inundated by end-of-century when assuming a 1.8 m rise in sea-level. Spatial analysis of sites adjacent to the high tide line demonstrate that these values are likely conservative, as there are many sites located within 1 m of the highest high tide line that should also be considered vulnerable. Finally, we present and introductory proposal that addresses the need for vulnerability assessments to aid cultural heritage managers in developing adaptive strategies for climate change impacts to material heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide semi-natural habitats of high biological value are in decline. Consequently, numerous Agri-Environment Schemes (AESs) intended to halt biodiversity loss within these habitats have been implemented. One approach has been the application of “adaptive management”, where scientific knowledge is applied alongside the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of stakeholders in order to establish an integrated approach that is adjusted as outcomes are assessed. In this paper we examine the effectiveness of the adaptive management approach of Norway’s Action Plan for Hay Meadows (APHM). Twenty-nine hay meadows from fourteen farms in the county of Møre og Romsdal were ecologically surveyed over a 2 year period. Interviews were also conducted with owners and land managers to explore TEK and management issues. The interdisciplinary study found that the disembedding of hay meadow management from its initial commercial purpose (in particular the loss of much of the livestock from the region) has contributed to a significant loss of TEK – which is now largely limited to knowledge of how the fields were managed recently. While, the APHM is limiting biodiversity decline by promoting traditional practices there were indications that the standardisation of management actions might negatively affect species composition in the long term. More critically, continued farm abandonment within the region means that without alternatives to management by farmers many of these meadows are likely to disappear in the next couple of decades. We conclude that adaptive management provides an effective short-term means of preserving hay meadows, but long term conservation will require a means of addressing the continued decline of local farming communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) is a region of utmost importance to Vietnam’s national food security. However, the availability of required freshwater resources (from both surface and groundwater sources) is currently under great threats due to dry season salinity intrusion, surface water pollution, and over-exploitation of groundwater. Global climate change, sea level rise, and upstream and in situ development activities may worsen the situation. Assuming that adaptive management could be a promising strategy to address the increasingly complex and unpredictable water-related problems in the VMD, we design and apply a framework to identify the extent to which the governance regime in this region exhibits conditions that are likely to promote adaptive freshwater management. Using both primary and secondary data, our analysis reveals that the prospects for adaptive water management in the study area are limited since several conditions were not present. We observe among others limitations in vertical and horizontal integration and public participation, restraints in knowledge and information sharing, inadequate policy development and implementation, and insufficient diversification of financial resources. Following our findings, we conclude the paper with recommendations both for national, regional and local policy interventions and for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fostering sustainable local social–ecological interactions playing out against a backdrop of larger-scale dynamics are ubiquitous challenges to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Social-ecological vulnerability assessments are highly relevant for place-based management and can help target and prioritize management actions. However, an understanding of how linked social-ecological vulnerabilities respond to external drivers is still lacking. This paper presents an approach that integrates the spatial and temporal dimensions into social-ecological vulnerability assessments, where social and ecological vulnerabilities are linked by a feedback loop. The approach is applied to the Moorea coral reef social-ecological system, which has been significantly influenced by major environmental and social drivers over the last decade. Temporal changes in linked social-ecological vulnerabilities are mapped before and after exposure to the multiple drivers. Nearly 23% of households and 13% of the reef area show low and decreasing vulnerability despite exposure. However, high and increasing levels of vulnerability were detected in 6% of households and associated reefs after exposure to the drivers, providing early warnings of potentially unsustainable situations. Importantly, changes in ecological vulnerability did not propagate linearly to changes in social vulnerability. Similarly, hot spots of social vulnerability were not necessarily associated with hot spots of ecological vulnerability, highlighting the need to specifically adapt management interventions to local social-ecological settings. Mapping social-ecological dependencies in space and time provides communities and decision-makers with the information required to identify and prioritize management interventions while accounting for the effects of large-scale or external drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive decision-making (ADM) is a structured process of learning, improving understanding, and ultimately adapting management decisions in a systematic and efficient way, aimed at reducing uncertainties over the course of the management timeframe. This approach holds a great potential for dealing with the challenges faced by civil infrastructure facilities, especially those exposed to evolving risks caused by changes in environmental and urban settings, evolving expectations and preferences of the public, tightening budgets, and unpredictable political circumstances over their lifetime. This paper suggests ADM as a way of continuously reevaluating the risks and providing more adaptive and flexible management actions to enhance infrastructure resilience under dynamic changes and evolving conditions. The proposed ADM is illustrated with a benchmark problem based on a testbed residential community in Kathmandu, Nepal to explore the effect of incremental building expansion on the seismic risk to a community and examine the feasibility and effectiveness of ADM in improving resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the extreme rainfall events that led to economic losses and undesirable impacts in New Cairo, Egypt, a pilot project is implemented using Green Infrastructure (GI) strategies for stormwater management to provide an adaptive solution. The paper aims to share lessons learned from the pilot project to improve stormwater management in a sustainable cost-effective manner. New Cairo GI project is documented through site visits and an interview with the project's technical manager. An experts' survey investigated the main drivers, barriers, and enabling factors for implementing green infrastructure projects in Egypt. Results show the learning loops of the New Cairo pilot project, drivers, barriers and enabling factors. Results from the experts' survey showed that GI environmental benefits and the cost of damages are the main drivers while involvement of planners with the right expertise is the main enabling factor. Recommendations based on the survey results and lessons learned are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive management has long been promulgated as an appropriate approach to address the complexity and dynamics of coastal social-ecological systems. However, examples of successful implementation of this approach are still scarce. Law may be a factor hindering adaptive management, particularly when legal provisions are too rigid to enable change. Drawing on the management experience of Armação Beach (a coastal erosion hotspot in the Municipality of Florianópolis, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil), this paper: (a) analyses how adaptive management has been used for coastal management in the selected study area and its applicable legal framework; and (b) identifies legal barriers to adaptive coastal management. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 27 participants were undertaken. An inductive thematic coding strategy was adopted to analyse interview data. Interpretation of results shows that coastal management in Florianópolis is yet to follow the structured and iterative learning process of adaptive management. Vague, imprecise, and generic legal provisions have contributed to reactive coastal management. In the context of open-ended legislation, government entities have used their legal discretion to avoid making coastal management plans, and short-term defence strategies to manage coastal erosion have proliferated in response to crisis situations. The paper highlights the importance of seeking the right balance between legal certainty and legal flexibility, providing an entry point to further research and legal reform discussions in the field of adaptive coastal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explored how rural cooperatives influence technology efficiency of farmer in the context of Geographical Indication (GI) products industry and identify the main influence factors, to realize regional sustainable development. Based on a survey of rural households in Qingyuan County located in the northeast forest zone in China, where is famous for GI product - Chinese Gentian (a Chinese herbal medicine), the efficiency enhancement mechanism of two groups of farmers (cooperative participants and cooperative non-participants) is analyzed, a meta-frontier analysis (MFA) model is constructed to empirical analyze the impact of farmers' participation in cooperatives on the efficiency of Chinese herbal medicine cultivation, and the heterogeneity of farmers that influence technical inefficiency is identified. The conclusions include: Two different ways to participate in the cultivation of GI products are through cooperatives and self-participation which keep farmers at different frontiers of production; The difference in efficiency within the rural cooperative is small but the efficiency of self-participating farmers is relatively large; The efficiency is about 32% higher, which explains the main reason for increase the efficiency of farmers are unified management, skill training and knowledge information diffusion. Household head age, education, enthusiasm and agricultural skill are the main influencing factors of technology inefficiency. This paper enriches the understanding of how rural cooperatives promote technology efficiency of rural households, especially with the heterogeneity of farmers' endowment, and how this contribute to the adaptive management of local GI brand and targeted poverty alleviation to realize rural revitalization. • Rural cooperatives influence technology efficiency of farmer of Geographical Indication (GI) products industry. • Two different ways to participate GI products：cooperatives and self-participation. • The average efficiency of the cooperative participants is about 32% higher than that of cooperative non-participants. • Main influencing factors of technology inefficiency: household head age, education, enthusiasm and agricultural skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Despite advocacy of socio-ecological benefits, little documentation exists on how co-management systems can affect scientific processes. • This study evaluates how fisheries co-management can affect a scientific research programs and biological functioning of a marine resource. • Topics investigated include management scales, fishery timing and closures, collaborative research, and user perceptions of stock size. • The paper demonstrates how co-management systems need to adapt as knowledge accumulates to maximize collective long-term benefit. A thrust toward fisheries co-management systems occurred globally throughout the 1990s. This was partially influenced by the collapse of groundfish stocks including the iconic northern cod and other fisheries resources in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). The management system for NL snow crab burgeoned during this period, largely in the absence of biological information for the resource. There is a high volume of theoretical literature advocating for the benefits of fisheries co-management, but little documented perspectives from fisheries scientists actively engaged in such management systems, nor literature detailing how co-management regimes could affect scientific research or assessment programs. In this paper, in context of a large fishery, we provide specific examples of how co-management processes can influence scientific research and monitoring programs and the biological functioning of important marine resources. We undertake critical evaluation on topics including spatial scales of management, fishery timing, fishery closures, collaborative research, and harvester perceptions of stock size. We conclude there are both scientific advantages and disadvantages to operating within co-management systems, but that the NL snow crab management system has evolved to promote processes problematic to provision of the best possible science advice. We conclude that adaptive co-management measures are required to address several current challenges in order to maximize scientific value within this system. In general, the paper demonstrates how flexibility is needed by all partners involved in resource co-management systems to adapt to fundamental scientific principles inherent in changing methodologies and the generation of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable investment in river restoration projects, there is still limited information on the efficacy and success of river restoration activities. One of the main reasons is poor or improper project design, resulting in common problems such as: not addressing the root cause of habitat degradation; not establishing reference conditions, benchmarks and not defining endpoints against which to measure success; inappropriate uses of common restoration techniques because of lack of pre-planning; and inadequate monitoring or appraisal of restoration projects. In this paper peer-reviewed and grey literature and a large database of existing case studies were reviewed to identify the prevailing challenges river managers face when planning and developing river restoration projects. To overcome these current challenges an integrated project planning framework has been developed that incorporates adaptive management and project management techniques. It encapsulates key concepts and decision support tools to advance the existing sequence of project identification, project formulation, project implementation and post-project monitoring to incorporate multidisciplinary decision making to meet specific environmental and socio-economic objectives. The proposed river restoration project planning framework is adaptable and can therefore be applied to any project development scenario locally, regionally or internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust environmental management of deep-sea mining projects must be integrated into the planning and execution of mining operations, and developed concurrently. It should follow a framework indicating the environmental management-related activities necessary at each project phase, and their interrelationships. An environmental management framework with this purpose is presented in this paper; it facilitates the development of environmental information and decision-making throughout the phases of a mining project. It is based environmental management frameworks used in allied industries, but adjusted for unique characteristics of deep-sea mining. It defines the gathering and synthesis of information and its use in decision-making, and employs a conceptual model as a growing repository of claim-specific information. The environmental management activities at each phase have been designed to enable the implementation of the precautionary approach in decision making, while facilitating review of adaptive management measures to improve environmental management as the quantity and quality of data increases and technologies are honed. This framework will ensure fairness and uniformity in the application of environmental standards, assist the regulator in its requirements to protect the environment, and benefit contractors and financiers by reducing uncertainty in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a well-established need for increased stakeholder participation in the generation of adaptive management approaches and specific solutions to complex environmental problems. However, integrating participant feedback into current science, research, and decision-making processes is challenging. This paper presents a novel approach that marries a rigorous Delphi method, borrowed from policy and organizational sciences, with contemporary “crowdsourcing” to address the complex problems of water pollution exacerbated by climate change in the Lake Champlain Basin. In an online Delphi forum that occurred over a six-week period during the Spring of 2014, fifty-three participants proposed and commented on adaptive solutions to address water quality in the context of climate change. In a follow up Multi-Stakeholder workshop, thirty-eight stakeholders participated in refining and synthesizing the results from the forum. To inform modeling and policy dialogue, the resulting list of interventions was analyzed by time horizon, domain, type of adaptation action, and priority level. The interventions suggested by stakeholders within the crowdsourcing forum have contributed to the current policy dialogue in Vermont including legislation to address phosphorus loading to Lake Champlain. This stakeholder approach strengthens traditional modeling scenario development to include solutions and priorities that have been collectively refined and vetted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring provides important feedback on how social and environmental systems are tracking and whether or not human activities, including management activities, are having an impact. This paper describes an approach applied to develop an integrated monitoring framework to inform adaptive management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, a complex, multi-jurisdictional, multi-sectoral marine system of international importance. It identifies the gaps and opportunities to integrate the existing long-term, short-term and compliance-related monitoring and reporting initiatives to provide the information for more effective and efficient (adaptive) management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. And as importantly it aligns expectations among different agencies about how monitoring will inform management. Fifty two high priority values, processes and pressures for management were identified along with 65 existing monitoring programs. Developing the monitoring framework was useful in several ways. First it brought together scientists, policy-makers, managers, and other interested stakeholders with different agendas, philosophies and incentives and established a common purpose, lexicon and language for an integrated monitoring program. Second, it highlighted the importance and usefulness of qualitative conceptual models as a framework for focused discussion around a set of hypotheses with relevance for management. Third, the process started an important conversation about defining and setting a realistic number of monitoring priorities for management. Finally, it has provided direction for how to build on existing initiatives to develop an integrated monitoring program for a globally significant world heritage area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decisions regarding the selection and implementation of management strategies that constrain fishing pressure can be among the most difficult choices that fisheries managers and stakeholders must make. These types of decisions often need to be confronted in a data-limited context, where few if any management measures are currently in place or fisheries are managed independent of adequate scientific advice. This situation can sometimes create a high risk of overfishing and potential loss of economic and social benefits. To address this situation, simple model-free indicator-based frameworks have the potential to be effective decision-making platforms for fisheries where quantitative estimates of biomass and fishing mortality based reference points are lacking. In this paper, a multi-indicator framework is developed that enables decision-makers to proceed with management decisions in data-limited situations. Model-free indicators are calculated using trends in observed data, rather than stock assessment derived estimates of biomass and fishing mortality. The framework developed is adaptive so that adjustments to catch or effort are recursive and can respond to changing environments, socioeconomic conditions, and fishing practices. Using stakeholder-defined objectives as a foundation, indicators and reference points of fishery performance are chosen that can be evaluated easily by undertaking analyses of available data. Indicators from multiple data streams are used so that uncertainty in one indicator can be hedged through careful interpretation and corroboration of information from alternative indicators. During the adaptive management cycle, managers and stakeholders evaluate each indicator against the associated reference points to determine performance measures, interpret the results using scientific and local knowledge, and adjust fishery management tactics accordingly using pre-defined harvest control rules. The framework facilitates the interpretation of situations in which performance measures suggest divergent stock abundance or productivity levels. A case study is presented on this framework's development for conch and lobster fisheries of Belize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild pigs are a widespread invasive species that pose significant environmental and social risks. A number of wild pig eradication and control measures exist, but many eradication campaigns are ultimately unsuccessful. Decision making regarding how to design and execute an eradication plan is difficult because of multiple costs and benefits spanning various decision criteria that are associated with different eradication and control countermeasures. Moreover, multiple stakeholders are often involved with differing and sometimes competing objectives, and wild pigs are adaptive adversaries, meaning that the ideal countermeasure may change over time. In this paper, we propose the use of formal decision analytic tools which can structure decision problems into a set of relevant criteria, countermeasures, and stakeholder preferences to facilitate the evaluation of tradeoffs. We operationalize this method in a simple Excel-based decision tool and conclude with a path forward regarding how to successfully implement such tools for effective wild pig control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine the management of a natural resource, a fishery, subject to regime shifting dynamics. A regime shift is defined as an episode in which the dynamics of the resource can switch between two alternative regimes at random times. Specifically, we study the impact of reversible regime switching, both observed and unobserved, on optimal harvesting policy. The case in which the regime is not directly observed, i.e., observational uncertainty, is addressed by using the extended POMDP approach developed in Fackler and Pacifici (2014). We illustrate the performance of the model under different assumptions on the underlying stochastic growth variability, the biological structure of the stock in different regimes, and the resilience of the regimes. When the regime is known optimal policies depend on the population level and which regime is currently active. When the regime is unobserved, on the other hand, the optimal policy depends on the population level and a belief distribution about the current regime. In general when the probability of regime change is fixed, and hence is not affected by harvesting policy, the optimal policy is of the constant-escapement variety. When the probability of switching regime is endogenous the optimal policy is no longer of the constant-escapement type. Optimal policies when the regime is uncertain are approximately equal to a weighted average of the policies when the regime is certain, with the weights equal to the beliefs in the associated regimes, but there are differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing appreciation that protected areas, like all social-ecological systems (SES), are inherently complex and face an unpredictable future under the influence of global environmental change. Adaptive management is the accepted approach for managing complex SES to ensure their resilience, but unless it is supported by a governance system that is itself adaptive it has little chance of success. Scholars have identified certain principles conducive to adaptive governance. Environmental legislation, an important component of the governance system, is often misaligned with these principles. In this paper we assess adaptive governance principles with regard to legislation governing South Africa’s national parks. This assessment indicates that, to enable adaptive governance and adaptive management, legislation should (1) be co-produced by policy-makers, policy implementers and users of protected area ecosystem services; (2) commit and empower management agencies to apply the principles of adaptive governance and adaptive management, particularly in the collaborative development of management plans; (3) commit agencies to review management plans and allow flexibility to adapt plans; (4) ensure that the temporal and spatial scales of the governance system match those of the SES being managed; (5) anticipate change and avoid assumptions of system stability and predictability; and (6) provide for flexible financing mechanisms, so that funds can be prioritised and timed to meet the unpredictable demands of complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have recently looked to adaptive management and adaptive governance as new approaches to implement green infrastructure. Much of the recent scholarship, however, that argues for combining the three concepts of adaptive management, adaptive governance, and green infrastructure is either theoretical, at early planning stages, or based on relatively small experiments. Since green infrastructure is now being implemented in a number of cities at large spatial scales, this paper examines how and whether combining these theories helps to solve anticipated problems compared to earlier work on environmental governance and political implementation. The city of Philadelphia has become known as a national and international leader in using green infrastructure for stormwater management. This paper therefore analyses Philadelphia's early experiences in the period from 2009 to 2015 as a test at urban scale of the usefulness of theories of adaptive management and adaptive governance in implementing green infrastructure. The city of Philadelphia found itself rapidly changing its implementation approach multiple times in response to political pressure. The city's changing responses illustrate challenges in implementing environmental policies among actors with differing levels of political power, economic interests, and participation. This paper describes the rapid changes in programs using mixed methods and data sources including quantitative analysis of the city's billing and program data, qualitative interpretation of media and public documents, and subsequent interviews with city officials. Understanding how and why Philadelphia rapidly changed its approach will be interesting to policymakers and advocates in other cities who also intend to implement green infrastructure at urban scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current wildfire policies in European Union countries have not solved the wildfire problem and probably will not be effective in the future, as all the initiatives focus on suppression and minimize the use of fire embedded in the Traditional Ecologic Knowledge of European communities. The traditional fire use as a tool for land management has been handled and almost criminalized by an urban-centric perspective and anti-fire bias. These policies are poorly adapted to, and cannot cope with, the complex nature of the wildfire phenomenon since they neglect its social roots. This paper presents a forward-looking and innovative model of wildfire management focused not at the landscape, or community, or forest level but at the territory scale. Fire Smart Territory (FST) is the proposed theoretical, the context specific, and place-based operational framework. The grounding assumptions of FST are that fire is a dual and ambiguous process, that it is not merely a biophysical process with social overtones but a social process, and it is a complex issue which can be understood only in the coupled human and natural systems where it occurs. FST advocates that the current wildfire challenges cannot be solved by a check list of theoretically adequate procedures, but through locally understanding the wildfire problem and strategically preparing each territory to be less wildfire prone, and its inhabitants to be less vulnerable, and more resilient, in the scope of economic valorization, sustainable development, and safety of the territory resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes an approach to landscape design that focuses on integrating bioenergy production with other components of environmental, social and economic systems. Landscape design as used here refers to a spatially explicit, collaborative plan for management of landscapes and supply chains. Landscape design can involve multiple scales and build on existing practices to reduce costs or enhance services. Appropriately applied to a specific context, landscape design can help people assess trade-offs when making choices about locations, types of feedstock, transport, refining and distribution of bioenergy products and services. The approach includes performance monitoring and reporting along the bioenergy supply chain. Examples of landscape design applied to bioenergy production systems are presented. Barriers to implementation of landscape design include high costs, the need to consider diverse land-management objectives from a wide array of stakeholders, up-front planning requirements, and the complexity and level of effort needed for successful stakeholder involvement. A landscape design process may be stymied by insufficient data or participation. An impetus for coordination is critical, and incentives may be required to engage landowners and the private sector. Hence devising and implementing landscape designs for more sustainable outcomes require clear communication of environmental, social, and economic opportunities and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on how scientific uncertainties about future peak flood flows and sea level rises are accounted for in long term strategic planning processes to adapt inland and coastal flood risk management in England to climate change. Combining key informant interviews ( n = 18) with documentary analysis, it explores the institutional tensions between adaptive management approaches emphasising openness to uncertainty and to alternative policy options on the one hand and risk-based ones that close them down by transforming uncertainties into calculable risks whose management can be rationalized through cost-benefit analysis and nationally consistent, risk-based priority setting on the other hand. These alternative approaches to managing uncertainty about the first-order risks to society from future flooding are shaped by institutional concerns with managing the second-order, ‘institutional’ risks of criticism and blame arising from accountability for discharging those first-order risk management responsibilities. In the case of river flooding the poorly understood impacts of future climate change were represented with a simplistic adjustment to peak flow estimates, which proved robust in overcoming institutional resistance to making precautionary allowances for climate change in risk-based flood management, at least in part because its scientific limitations were acknowledged only partially. By contrast in the case of coastal flood risk management, greater scientific confidence led to successively more elaborate guidance on how to represent the science, which in turn led to inconsistency in implementation and increased the institutional risks involved in taking the uncertain effects of future sea level rise into account in adaptation planning and flood risk management. Comparative analysis of these two cases then informs some wider reflections about the tensions between adaptive and risk-based approaches, the role of institutional risk in climate change adaptation, and the importance of such institutional dynamics in shaping the framing uncertainties and policy responses to scientific knowledge about them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]