Watersheds as Learning Landscapes: Policies and Practices Around Watershed Governance in Canada

1. Prateep Kumar Nayak Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Canada Watersheds as Learning Landscapes: Policies and Practices Around Watershed Governance in Canada

2. Introduction • Resource governance dilemma and, in many cases, governance failure, can be attributed to deficiencies in learning processes and outcomes. • Governance: “...interrelated and increasingly integrated system of formal and informal rules [institutions], rule-making systems, and actor-networks at all levels of human society (from local to global) that are set up to steer societies towards preventing, mitigating, and adapting to global and local environmental change” (Biermann et al. 2009) • Learning: “process of social change in which people learn from each other in ways that can benefit wider social-ecological systems. • as active social participation in the practices of a community • dynamic interaction between people and the environment in the construction of meaning and identity (Reed et al. 2010)

3. Introduction • Focus on the nexus between governance and learning using a watershed context. • How the emergence of governance (adaptive) regimes relates to the concept of learning across multiple levels. • Governance processes affect learning outcomes. • Learning can impact management and governance processes. • Both governance and learning as linked to each other in a two-way feedback process. • Learning outcomes help in dealing with resource management problems and challenges. • Governance arrangements and processes facilitate transformative learning. • Both at individual and societal levels.

4. Key Tenets of Governance and Learning Processes

5. Attributes associated with governance • Cross-scale linkages, Interaction, Coordination, Collaboration, Networks • Institutional arrangements – Bridging and Polycentric • Diversity / Pluralism • Flexibility, Monitoring • Leadership • Memory, Learning capacity, Self‐organization • Dynamic learning

6. Attributes associated with learning • Interaction, Inclusion and Negotiation • Systems orientation, Integration • Reflection and reflexivity • Learning • Conditions or methods • Learning outcomes • Individual and wider social learning

7. The Policy and Practice of Watershed Governance: Two Canadian CasesDrawing from earlier presentations by Fred, Kate and Dave (John)

8. Bottom-up Governance: The case of PEI watershed groups

9. Top-Down Decentralisation for Watershed Governance: Manitoba Conservation Districts

10. Some Challenges • Funding • Topography • Environmental: Coastal erosion and nitrate pollution • Real good technical advice and leadership • Cooperation between various provincial departments • Dealings with the different agencies • Struggling for visions for things you’d like to accomplish

12. Some Challenges • You only have so many hours in a week and so much to do • It’s not hard to get a few core people, but to get a large part of the community involved is really difficult • Bringing people into the process • Engaging all the landowners (all stakeholders) • Keep educating (even in the absence of money) • Building awareness of the issues • Cultural differences • Autonomy to sub-districts (further decentralization)

13. Learning Related • Patience – We really do not know the future (complex, uncertain and unpredictable) • Relationship between watershed groups and different sectors • Understand that this is not just cleaning up a stream • Don’t ever underestimate public and community-based decision making • It is a powerful tool for getting things done

14. Learning Related • Groups have different governances • I’d like to see us abandon the stream bed and really start to get very serious on the sources, and try to get those sources stopped • Enforcement is important - There is education at one end, but then there are people that just will not comply • Working with the government is difficult sometimes • ‘…more you know, the more appreciation of the environment you have, and would probably understand your circumstances allowing you to act meaningfully’

15. Exploring the Governance-Learning Nexus Governance and learning share common characteristics • Changes in governance regimes and learning processes are linked • Given their two-way feedback relationship, both can influence each other •  Importance of the individual and individual learning to these relationships

16. Exploring the Governance-Learning Nexus • Learning and governance are continuous and iterative • Power and political dynamics create learning mismatches across levels of governance • Can learning be a means to enhance adaptiveness in environmental governance? • Can (what) appropriate governance arrangements can facilitate learning?

17. Exploring the Governance-Learning Nexus • Learning through watershed governance • Governing watersheds through learning

18. Understanding Watersheds as Learning Landscapes

19. THANK YOU • Canadian Water Network • Friends and colleagues in PEI and Manitoba –Watershed Groups and Conservation Districts • Provincial Governments of PEI and MB