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Abstract:
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"Adaptive governance can be conceptualized as distinct phases of: 1) understanding
environmental change; 2) using this understanding to inform decision making; and 3) acting on decisions
in a manner that sustains resilience of desirable system states. Using this analytical framework, we explore
governance in practice in two case studies in Kenya, that reflect the 'messiness' of contemporary coastal
governance in many developing country contexts. Findings suggest that adaptive marine governance is
unlikely to be a smooth process of learning, knowledge sharing, and responding. There are institutional,
sociocultural, and political factors, past and present, that influence each phase of both local and state
decision making. New local institutions related to fisher associations and Beach Management Units
influence learning and knowledge sharing in ways contrary to those expected of institutions that enable
collaborative fisheries management. Similarly, state decision making is relatively uninformed by the diverse
knowledge systems available in the coastal zone, despite the rhetoric of participation. Historical relations
and modes of working continue to play a significant role in mediating the potential for adaptive governance
in the future. The case studies are illustrative and point to a number of institutional and political issues that
would need to be addressed in processes of governance reform towards more adaptive management in
developing country contexts."
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