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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2016

Learning for Transformation of Water Governance: Reflections on Design from the Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance (CADWAGO) Project

Blackmore, Chris; van Bommel, Severine; de Bruin, Annemarieke; de Vries, Jasper; Westberg, Lotten; Powell, Neil; Foster, Natalie; Collins, Kevin; Roggero, Pier Paolo; Seddaiu, Giovanna

Abstract

This paper considers how learning for transformation of water governance in the context of climate change adaptation can be designed for and supported, drawing examples from the international climate change adaptation and water governance project (CADWAGO). The project explicitly set out to design for governance learning in the sense of developing elements of social infrastructure such as workshops, performances and online media to bring stakeholders together and to facilitate co-learning of relevance to governance. CADWAGO drew on a variety of international cases from past and ongoing work of the project partners. It created a forum for dialogue among actors from different contexts working at different levels and scales. The range of opportunities and constraints encountered are discussed, including the principles and practicalities of working with distributed processes of design and leadership of events. A range of concepts, tools and techniques were used to consider and facilitate individual and collective learning processes and outcomes associated with water governance in the context of climate adaptation. Questions were addressed about how elements of past, present and future water governance thinking and practice are connected and how multi-level systemic change in governance can take place. Some reflections on the effectiveness of the design for learning process are included. The nature of the contribution that projects such as CADWAGO can make in learning for transformation of water governance practices is also critically considered.

Keywords

learning; design; water governance; transformation; CADWAGO

Published in

Water
2016, Volume: 8, number: 11, article number: 510
Publisher: MDPI AG

      SLU Authors

      Sustainable Development Goals

      SDG6 Clean water and sanitation
      SDG13 Climate action

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Environmental Management

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110510

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/83077