Learning consciousness in managing water for the environment, exemplified using Macquarie River and Marshes, Australia.

Context: Ongoing learning is essential for freshwater ecosystem management, but there is limited documentation of successful integration into management. Aims: We aimed to increase learning-related understanding required for effective adaptive management of water for the environment, in water-stressed and contested river systems. Methods: We developed a learning approach (requisite learning) for managing water for the environment, demonstrated with real-world examples from the Macquarie River and Marshes, Australia. Key results: Four co-existing, interdependent learning types enable effective management of water for the environment: (1) 'adjusting routines', (2) 'adaptive assessment', (3) 'changing practice', and (4) 'transforming governance', exemplified by using management of water for the environment for the Macquarie River and Marshes. To enable and improve requisite learning, stakeholder social learning, and flexibility in governance arrangements, must develop. Conclusions: Ongoing learning is essential for effective adaptive management. Understanding what requisite learning is and how capacity can be improved, will help achieve outcomes required of managing water for the environment. Implications: Effective management of water for the environment is essential, transparently delivering environmental outcomes and accounting for decision-making. To do this, we need to improve explicit learning understanding by nurturing learning mandates and champions, fostering social learning, increasing flexibility in governance arrangements, and institutionalising learning. We developed a learning approach for managing water for the environment, globally, as learning is essential for effective and successful management. This learning approach is exemplified using the Macquarie River and Marshes in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia. To improve ongoing learning in managing water for the environment, we recommend institutionalising learning, increasing flexibility in governance arrangements, fostering social-learning capacity, and developing explicit learning understanding by nurturing learning mandates and champions. This article belongs to the collection Environmental Flows in Northern Murray–Darling Basin: what we know about the science and management after a decade of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]