Practical responses to water and climate policy implementation challenges

Abstract

Water and climate are two of the most important public policy challenges facing Australia. They have pervasive impacts on how and where people can live and what they are likely to be able to do in the future. Policy implementation in these areas suffers from a range of challenges, including how to improve horizon scanning and preparedness, learn from past policy experiences, deal with policy interdependencies, and develop forms of more citizen-centric policy. When these challenges are responded to effectively, it can lead to enhanced foresight and planning, better understanding and communication of policy complexity, and communication of uncertainty and ambiguity, that are key to effective policy implementation. In this context, this paper presents and analyses a number of practical responses to water and climate policy implementation challenges, including the development of “low regret” policy and infrastructure options that encourage flexibility in responding to possible futures. It also highlights the important role that collaboratively acting now across sectors, issues, governance levels and groups of stakeholders to plan for a range of future scenarios can have on enhancing the capacity of all involved and building pathways to more sustainable and resilient futures.

Keywords:

• Water management
• climate change
• public policy
• risk management
• resilience
• variability
• collaboration
• preparedness
• science-policy interface
• security
• planning

Additional information

Notes on contributors

K A Daniell

Dr Katherine Daniell is a Research Fellow in the Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Policy Innovation and the HC Coombs Policy Forum. Her current research focusses on the use of collaborative processes for developing coordinated policy, adaptation strategies and action for sustainable development. In this field, she has recently worked in France, Australia and Bulgaria on projects related to water governance, risk management, sustainable urban development and climate change adaptation. Her other research interests include public policy innovation processes, developing decision-aiding theory for “multi-accountable” groups and encouraging effective inter-organisational collaborations. Katherine is the author of the Cambridge University Press book Co-engineering and participatory water management: organisational challenges for water governance, published in the UNESCO International Hydrology Series. She was also a guest editor for a special feature in the journal Ecology and Society titled “Implementing participatory water management: recent advances in theory, practice and evaluation”, which was a compilation of papers that brought together policy, management and research lessons from the European Union’s AquaStress and NeWater Integrated Projects. In a research management role, Katherine coordinates the ANU’s involvement in the PACE-NET Plus EU project on strengthening bi-regional dialogue on science, technology and innovation between Europe and the Pacific. She also works in the HC Coombs Policy Forum at the Crawford School of Public Policy on a range of Australian Public Service – ANU cooperation projects, including the Future Thought Leaders Program. She was Chair of the scientific program for the recent Engineers Australia “Practical Responses to Climate Change” conference on the theme “Water and Climate: Policy Implementation Challenges”, and is a co-convenor of the French-Australian Water and Land Management Initiative. She also teaches executive development courses for the Australian National Institute for Public Policy on multi-level governance. Katherine has received many awards and honours for her work, including a General Sir John Monash Award and being elected as a Fellow of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust.