NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 1 NeWater-ANU Meeting 28 th August 2007 ADAPTIVE GOVERNANCE? Steve Dovers Fenner School of Environment & Society, ANU

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 2 Sources Connor & Dovers (2004) Institutional change for sustainable development. Edward Elgar. Connor & Dovers (2004) Institutional change for sustainable development. Edward Elgar. Hussey & Dovers, eds (2007) Managing water for Australia: social & institutional challenges. CSIRO. Hussey & Dovers, eds (2007) Managing water for Australia: social & institutional challenges. CSIRO. Connell & Dovers (2006) Tails wags dog? Markets and the NWI. Public Administration Today. 8. Connell & Dovers (2006) Tails wags dog? Markets and the NWI. Public Administration Today. 8. Connell (2007) Water politics in the Murray-Darling Basin. Federation Press. Connell (2007) Water politics in the Murray-Darling Basin. Federation Press. Robins & Dovers (2007) Community-based NRM Boards of Management: Are they up to the task? Australasian J Env Man. 14. Robins & Dovers (2007) Community-based NRM Boards of Management: Are they up to the task? Australasian J Env Man. 14. Dovers, S Environment & sustainability policy. Federation Press. Dovers, S Environment & sustainability policy. Federation Press.

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 3 Institutions and governance Public or private, formal or informal, institutions are persistent, predictable arrangements, rules, laws, processes or customs serving to structure and enable political, social, cultural and economic transactions and relationships in a society. Organisations are manifestations of institutions. Public or private, formal or informal, institutions are persistent, predictable arrangements, rules, laws, processes or customs serving to structure and enable political, social, cultural and economic transactions and relationships in a society. Organisations are manifestations of institutions. Human govern themselves, whether well or not, through institutions. Human govern themselves, whether well or not, through institutions. Policy is formulated and implemented within institutional systems comprising complex, interactive systems of many institutions, organizations and actors. One dysfunctional part of the institutional system can cause failure. Policy is formulated and implemented within institutional systems comprising complex, interactive systems of many institutions, organizations and actors. One dysfunctional part of the institutional system can cause failure. Australia is currently constructing a new institutional system for the governance of water. Australia is currently constructing a new institutional system for the governance of water.

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 4 Principles for adaptive institutions? (from 30 yr Austn review, Dovers and Wild River 2003) Persistence over time, and thus able to test and learn. Persistence over time, and thus able to test and learn. Purposefulness, with widely recognised goals & directions. Purposefulness, with widely recognised goals & directions. Information-rich and –sensitive. Information-rich and –sensitive. Inclusive of relevant stakeholders, at appropriate scales and various ways. Inclusive of relevant stakeholders, at appropriate scales and various ways. Flexibility, so that persistence and purposefulness do not equal rigidity Flexibility, so that persistence and purposefulness do not equal rigidity

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 5 Past, present, future Past reality – government regulatory control, for national development and distributional goals. Past reality – government regulatory control, for national development and distributional goals. Present intent – sustainability limits,more inclusive governance for integrated, sustainable water management, using markets as allocation mechanism. Present intent – sustainability limits,more inclusive governance for integrated, sustainable water management, using markets as allocation mechanism. Future – unclear mix of the above. Future – unclear mix of the above.

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 6 The NWI Setting sustainable limits to extraction. Setting sustainable limits to extraction. Tradable water rights as main allocation mechanism. Tradable water rights as main allocation mechanism. Formalised environmental flows. Formalised environmental flows. Comprehensive water planning. Comprehensive water planning. Full accounting of water resources and use. Full accounting of water resources and use. Risk sharing formulae. Risk sharing formulae. Impressive – a Sustainable Development implementation task, +20 years from Brundtland. Impressive – a Sustainable Development implementation task, +20 years from Brundtland. And, proposed assumption of powers in Murray- Darling Basin by the Commonwealth. And, proposed assumption of powers in Murray- Darling Basin by the Commonwealth.

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 7 Adaptive or not? – 8 challenges 1. Good policy, or short term politics – is it who does it or what is done? Diversion? 2. Markets are part of the means, sustainability and productivity are the ends. 3. Informed and defendable limits, plans, rights? 4. Defining role of regions and stakeholders –or risk decades of institutional development and engagement.

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 8 … challenges 5. Defining & perfecting water planning – the fulcrum of water policy. 6. Law reform (state and territory statutes) – the oft-ignored wiring of the institutional system. 7. Suitability outside the Murray-Darling Basin? 8. Attending to the cities and 85% of the population (voters) – national policy largely rural focused.

NeWater ANU August 2007 Dovers 9 Questions for adaptive Aust water governance: relevant elsewhere? Persistence – beyond elections and, El Nino episodes, based in plans and law. Persistence – beyond elections and, El Nino episodes, based in plans and law. Purposefulness – codification in law, and expression of policy logic and sustainability limits. Purposefulness – codification in law, and expression of policy logic and sustainability limits. Information – major gaps in knowledge. Information – major gaps in knowledge. Inclusiveness – how genuine?, public support for NWI; role of regional organisations and CMAs. Inclusiveness – how genuine?, public support for NWI; role of regional organisations and CMAs. Flexibility – ability to maintain policy regime under conditions of greater climate variability; and adapt to new information. Flexibility – ability to maintain policy regime under conditions of greater climate variability; and adapt to new information.