Adaptive co‐management for social–ecological complexity

Abstract

Building trust through collaboration, institutional development, and social learning enhances efforts to foster ecosystem management and resolve multi‐scale society–environment dilemmas. One emerging approach aimed at addressing these dilemmas is adaptive co‐management. This method draws explicit attention to the learning (experiential and experimental) and collaboration (vertical and horizontal) functions necessary to improve our understanding of, and ability to respond to, complex social–ecological systems. Here, we identify and outline the core features of adaptive co‐management, which include innovative institutional arrangements and incentives across spatiotemporal scales and levels, learning through complexity and change, monitoring and assessment of interventions, the role of power, and opportunities to link science with policy.

Social learning: A knowledge and capacity building approach for adaptive co-management of contested landscapes

“…It states who can be involved in decision making (Fabricius et al, 2007) and when social capital is mobilised. This is considered to be dependent on social networks of reciprocity, trust and collective action (Armitage et al, 2009). Saner and Wilson (2003) suggest that 'good' governance involves sound environmental ethics and should satisfy three basic perspectives; ethics of character, duty and utility.…”

“…Adaptive co-management has emerged as an interdisciplinary method to foster improvements in ecosystem management and help resolve multi-scale society-environment dilemmas (Olsson et al, 2004a, b;Plummer and Armitage, 2007;Armitage et al, 2009). Methods depend on building trust in the formation of social networks between landscape managers, communities, researchers and policy makers for collaboration and learning through complexity and change.…”

Science–policy processes for transboundary water governance

“…However, social learning processes can help one link policy makers, scientists, and other key actors (members of the public, non-governmental organizations, aboriginal groups) through their emphasis on communication, deliberation, and group interaction (e.g., meetings, workshops, study tours, and visits) (Scott et al 2012). This can help stakeholders to deal with significant uncertainty and complexity, and if social learning processes are well designed (see Bos et al 2013), they can help surface the relationships of power that must be accounted for if meaningful actions are to be taken (Armitage et al 2009). In the MDB, salinity management programs at the regional level in New South Wales incorporated context-specific learning, community participation, and multiple types of knowledge.…”

“…It is often difficult for people who are more comfortable with technical information and 'hard facts' to engage someone whose knowledge emerges from ongoing interactions with the land, and who might communicate that knowledge through stories, perceptions of change, and a tendency to situate their knowledge in a broader discourse about values (Wolfe et al 2007;Armitage et al 2011;Taylor and de Loë 2012). Ultimately, these changes in relationships and focus on knowledge require a tacit recognition of differences in power, willingness on the part of the individuals involved to relinquish in some cases the positions of power they do hold, and a commitment to trust building (Armitage et al 2009). …”

Resource intruders and robustness of social-ecological systems: an irrigation system of Southeast Spain, a case study

“…Learning, communicating, and collaborating through adaptive co-management are essential practices for local communities to anticipate and avoid intruders' incursion or to rapidly respond and adapt to handle any eventual consequences (Olsson et al 2004;Armitage et al 2009). Measures to prevent the incursion of intruders or to minimize its consequences may, on the one hand, protect local communities and local resources by establishing property rights, protected areas and technological controls (prohibition of certain techniques), and increase monitoring.…”