Factors Influencing Adaptive Marine Governance in a Developing Country Context: a Case Study of Southern Kenya

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Adaptive governance can be conceptualized as distinct phases of: 1) understanding environmental change; 2) using this understanding to inform decision making; and 3) acting on decisions in a manner that sustains resilience of desirable system states. Using this analytical framework, we explore governance in practice in two case studies in Kenya, that reflect the "messiness" of contemporary coastal governance in many developing country contexts. Findings suggest that adaptive marine governance is unlikely to be a smooth process of learning, knowledge sharing, and responding. There are institutional, sociocultural, and political factors, past and present, that influence each phase of both local and state decision making. New local institutions related to fisher associations and Beach Management Units influence learning and knowledge sharing in ways contrary to those expected of institutions that enable collaborative fisheries management. Similarly, state decision making is relatively uninformed by the diverse knowledge systems available in the coastal zone, despite the rhetoric of participation. Historical relations and modes of working continue to play a significant role in mediating the potential for adaptive governance in the future. The case studies are illustrative and point to a number of institutional and political issues that would need to be addressed in processes of governance reform towards more adaptive management in developing country contexts.

Improving knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers to facilitate the adaptive governance of marine resources: A review of knowledge and research needs

“…Specifically, adaptive governance refers to society's capacity to understand and respond to environmental and social feedback in the context of change and uncertainty, to sustain and enhance the resistance and resilience of desirable ecosystems (Berkes and Folke, 1998). As such, adaptive governance involves the capacity to 1) understand environmental change, 2) use this information to inform decision making, 3) act on decisions in a manner that sustains the resistance and resilience of desirable ecosystem states and 4) review and adapt decisions as new information becomes available (Evans et al, 2011). Governing resources adaptively, therefore, is a knowledge intensive endeavour (e.g.…”

“…e Meinke et al, 2009;Cook et al, 2010). For example, biophysical science is important for predicting the likely consequences of disturbances to environmental assets, and testing the effectiveness of possible management responses, thus allowing proactive rather than reactive management actions to be taken (Evans et al, 2011). Primary biophysical science alone, however, cannot establish the societally acceptable thresholds, which is an important element of decision making.…”

The role of boundary organizations in co-management: examining the politics of knowledge integration in a marine protected area in Belize

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It’s not just a Blue Economy moment…

“…Research in marine economics is reconceptualising the role of natural resources in the core-periphery debate offered by New Economic Geography and establishing marine activities as a mobile, high-tech, high value added industry (Morrissey and O'Donoghue, 2012;Morrissey et al, 2014). Research by Evans et al, (2011) examines whether current best practice in ocean governance is applicable to Developing countries. Developing countries are for the first time at the centre of an economic agenda.…”

“…Suddenly, the few social scientists working on anything that constituted an oceanbased activity, along with marine biologists, ocean chemists and physicists were called on to build an evidence base from which the plethora of ocean activities could be developed in a sustainable manner. In response, a large body of research across the social sciences has begun to document and map this exploitation, including research in planning (Douvere and Elher, 2009;Flannery and Cinnéide, 2008;O'Mahony et al, 2009), governance (Evans et al, 2011;Flannery and Ellis, 2016), citizenship (Fletcher & Potts, 2007;McKinley and Fletcher, 2012) and economics (Kildow & McIlgorm, 2010;Morrissey et al, 2011;Colgan, 2013). International journals such as Marine Policy, Coastal Management and the Journal of Ocean and Coastal Management publish papers on all aspects of the oceans and new journals such as the Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics further increase the platforms in which research on the social aspects of the marine can be disseminated.…”