Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America

Graversgaard, M; Hedelin, B; Smith, Laurence; Gertz, F; Lajer Hojberg, A; Langford, J; Martinez, G; Mostert, E; Ptak, E; Peterson, H; Stelljes, N; van der Brink, C; Refsgaard, JC

Abstract

Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture (DWPA) and its governance has received increased attention as a policy concern across the globe. Mitigation of DWPA is a complex problem that requires a mix of policy instruments and a multi-agency, broad societal response. In this paper, opportunities and barriers for developing co-governance, defined as collaborative societal involvement in the functions of government, and its suitability for mitigation of DWPA are reviewed using seven case studies in Europe (Poland, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands and UK), Australia (Murray-Darling Basin) and North America (State of Minnesota). An analytical framework for assessing opportunities and barriers of co-governance was developed and applied in this review. Results indicated that five key issues constitute both opportunities and barriers, and include: (i) pressure for change; (ii) connected governance structures and allocation of resources and funding; (iii) leadership and establishment of partnerships through capacity building; (iv) use and co-production of knowledge; and (v) time commitment to develop water co-governance.

Citation

Graversgaard, M., Hedelin, B., Smith, L., Gertz, F., Lajer Hojberg, A., Langford, J., Martinez, G., Mostert, E., Ptak, E., Peterson, H., Stelljes, N., van der Brink, C., & Refsgaard, J. (2018). Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America. Sustainability, 10(5), 1634-1672. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051634

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 15, 2018
• Online Publication Date: May 18, 2018
• Publication Date: May 18, 2018
• Deposit Date: May 21, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: May 21, 2018
• Journal: Sustainability
• Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1634-1672
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051634
• Keywords: collaborative governance; decentralized decision-making; non-point source pollution; nutrient management; water governance
• Related Public URLs: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/5/1634