Water governance in the UK and EU: so far, so what & what next?
On 16 September CADWAGO organised an learning event in London to discuss the past, current, and future of water governance in the UK. It was hosted at the Royal Society in London.
Improving water governance is key to achieving a range of environmental, social and economic objectives including food, water and energy security, climate change resilience, health and well-being, and sustainable economic growth. This symposium brought together examples of initiatives in research, policy and practice for transforming water governance, including: CADWAGO case studies from the UK, Canada and Australia; the OECD’s work on water governance principles; DEFRA’s overview of the Catchment-based Approach; and the work of the Roe Catchment Community Water Management Group in the UK.
CADWAGO researchers from the Open University have been working with Government bodies, NGOs, consultants, water industry, academics, and others to better understand the current water governance situation and how it might be improved in practice. The results of this engagement — focusing on transformations in stakes and stakeholding, facilitation, institutions and policies, and knowing and learning — were used as a starting point for developing of an agenda for transforming water governance in the UK and the EU.
We would like to thank the participants, who shared their knowledge and experiences in climate change adaptation and water governance, and their organisations for enabling their participation.
Program and material that was presented at the event
Welcome and overview of CADWAGO project
Prof. Neil Powell, CADWAGO Project Director, Uppsala University / University of the Sunshine Coast (PDF, 7.5MB)
Session 1: Showcasing CADWAGO research
Dr. Kevin Collins & Dr. Natalie Foster, Open Univesity (PDF, 3.8MB)
with contributions via video from:
Prof. Tim Smith, Dr. Dana Thompsen & Dr. Maria de Lourdes Melo Zurita, USC; and
Prof. Ryan Plummer, Dr. Julia Baird, Dr. Angela Dzyundzyak & Dr. Ryan Bullock, Brock University (YouTube)
Session 2: Showcasing innovation in water governance
Aziza Akhmouch, OECD Head of Water Governance Programme (PDF, 5.3MB)
Richard Cole, DEFRA Head of CaBA Team, Water Quality Division (PDF, 3.6MB)
Ian Irving, Roe Catchment Community Water Management Group (PDF, 2.6MB)
Session 3: Developing an agenda for water governance
Chaired by Dr. Chris Blackmore, Open University (PDF, 451KB)
- Group 1: Stakeholding, stakeholders and messiness, facilitated by Annemarieke de Bruin (PDF, 61KB)
- Group 2: Governance structure, facilitated by Japser de Vries (PDF, 58KB)
- Group 3: Business case, facilitated by Severine van Bommel (PDF, 70KB)
- Group 4: Communication for engagement and action, facilitated by Natalie Foster (PDF, 674KB)
Session 3 continued: Plenary and reportage
Chaired by Dr. Kevin Collins, Open University (PDF, 212KB)