Upstream collaboration, downstream benefits: evaluating participatory governance models for flow-controlled watersheds

Collaborative governance in natural resource management is increasingly recognized as essential for addressing complex environmental problems involving interdependent parties. In water management, for example, optimizing flows requires balancing diverse rights-holder and stakeholder interests including infrastructure operations, municipal needs, and fish habitat. The lack of robust evaluation frameworks limits the potential for adaptive management and the ability to demonstrate value to finders and participants. The objective of this project is to establish a context-specific framework for evaluating effectiveness of collaborative governance processes in watershed management planning.
West Coast Aquatic (WCA) is a non-profit society that supports collaboration in natural resource management, especially related to water and fisheries. This committee provides informed recommendations on flow rates, pulse flows, and water storage during increasingly frequent summer drought months when salmon are most vulnerable. A challenge WCA faces is demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative approaches with clear success metrics to sustain stakeholder participation, secure funding, and improve collaborative governance processes. This research will deliver practical value to WCA with validated, replicable metrics that demonstrate collaborative effectiveness to funders, government partners, and stakeholders. Socially, transparent and accountable collaborative processes will build trust among diverse stakeholders and create replicable models for watershed management across British Columbia.

Faculty Supervisor:

Harry Nelson

Student:

Partner:

West Coast Aquatic

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: