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O Brasil tem incorporado o processo de aprendizagem socioecológica na gestão participativa dos conselhos de bacias hidrográficas por meio de suas “leis-irmãs” sobre a água e o meio ambiente. GTHIDRO, ou Grupo Transdisciplinar de Pesquisas em Governança da Água e do Território/Tecnologias Sociais para a Gestão da Água (TSGA), um grupo transdisciplinar de pesquisadores da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, abordou essas leis e desenvolveu novas interpretações de aprendizagem socioecológica. Eles incorporaram um componente ético e um programa dinâmico e complexo dos “ciclos de aprendizagem” participativos que trouxeram as comissões e as comunidades a um entendimento comum sobre os processos socioecológicos, as leis e o potencial para a ação coletiva. Usando a teoria da resiliência como uma estrutura para a compreensão de como manter e melhorar a capacidade de adaptação (Folke et al., 2002), este artigo analisa os processos de aprendizagem socioecológica, incluindo grupos focais, a dinâmica física que mistura o conceitual com o físico, a visão de futuro, o mapeamento socioecológico, o planejamento de projetos e celebrações comunitárias por meio de entrevistas, notas de reuniões e documentos escritos dos seis estudos de caso. O potencial de aprendizagem socioecológica como ferramenta para a construção da capacidade dos comitês de bacias (Turvo, Ermo, Nova Veneza, Orleans e Braço do Norte, na parte sul do Estado, Urubici, na região montanhosa, e Concórdia, no centro-leste) para planejar e implementar projetos está fundamentado como uma ferramenta importante para a construção da resiliência dos sistemas combinados. Os estudos de caso indicam que a sua maior conquista é o Modelo de Planejamento Estratégico para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, intitulado PEDS, que esquematiza a forma de melhorar a capacidade do núcleo do grupo de gestão para planejar e implementar projetos de sua própria concepção, o uso de estratégias que se aprenderam e as redes que se estabeleceram em sua bacia hidrográfica e em seu Estado. Enquanto o potencial de conflito sobre a água e energia entre os diversos setores econômicos é forte no Brasil e em outros lugares, com o modelo GTHIDRO o potencial para a colaboração em questões de recursos torna-se ainda mais forte. Observação dos Editores: O artigo foi publicado online em 16 de julho de 2014. Em 30 de julho de 2014, o arquivo foi substituído para inclusão de nomes de coautores.

This paper examines the opportunities and constraints of increasing water reuse in arid urban areas experiencing rapid population growth. Limited availability of additional water resources raises the attractiveness of reclaiming wastewater to meet increased demands for water. The need for change in water management can be viewed as an essential part of the trend towards water or natural resource governance with its recognition of the need for broader regional participation in addressing water demand problems. Using an urban case study from southwestern USA Sun Corridor in Arizona, we explore the drivers for increased use of reclaimed water, the relationship between growth and reuse, and seek to understand these unfolding processes from an applied new regionalism perspective. Through semi-structured interviews with water managers and planners, we elicit the current and planned uses of reclaimed water, and through community surveys, we investigate public willingness to increase water reuse. We explore the c...

The Greater Sonoran Ecoregion (GSE), spanning the U.S.-Mexico border between Arizona and Sonora, faces myriad biophysical and social challenges to maintaining long-term socioecological resilience. Concepts of socio-ecological resilience and transformability provide a foundation for examining interactions between society and nature, and between society and science. An analysis of three case studies reveals that the GSE is becoming ever more vulnerable to systemic changes that will have serious consequences for the environment and society alike. While much more knowledge needs to be developed in both the biophysical and social sciences, there is an equally pressing need to bring social values and practices more closely into alignment with the resources and limitations of the coupled system itself. Improvements in science‐society interactions are also needed. Threats to the GSE can only be addressed through long-term programs having the ultimate goal of preserving the system’s human and ecological integrity.

This paper reviews regional climate knowledge and vulnerability in the northern Mexico San Pedro River Basin, with a focus on water quality, quantity, and management issues on the Mexican side of the border. A discussion based on the available literature is supplemented by a survey assessing concerns about water and the quality and usability of climate and hydrologic information available to water managers and communities. The surveys indicate that the central concern for urban residents is the lack of reliable potable water due to frequent service breakdowns–with climate change and variability, specifically drought and high temperatures, as contributing factors. Water managers desire appropriate meteorological and hydrologic information to improve planning strategies, but access to this information remains limited. Considerable disagreement exists about who should pay for previously free or low-cost water and wastewater treatment. Urban users have little incentive to conserve because of the present flat, low rate and frustration with service. In rural areas, while a majority of ranchers recognize that variable climate and water loss could increasingly jeopardize their lifestyle, they seldom use meteorological information in planning or modify their water consumption. Climate vulnerability also includes potential for serious environmental health issues due to the presence of heavy metals and organic contaminants in the San Pedro.

Successful binational planning and management of water resources is a complex process dependent on informed decision‐making across diverse economic, social and political sectors. Additional technical and scientific information is often required as a part of this process. A critical factor in this process is how effectively social and physical scientists can help build collaboration and trust among stakeholders, water and land managers, and policy‐makers. Within the international San Pedro River Basin, disparities between Mexico and the USA regarding economic development and political orientation, combined with a highly variable and complex physical setting, suggest that the successful engagement of scientists with communities and stakeholders will be essential for addressing challenges in water management. Based upon concepts associated with collective action theory, adaptive management and conflict resolution, the present paper proposes a process for fostering collaborative binational water management in...