Journal Article

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10535/5

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Anticipatory Learning for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience
(2010) Tschakert, Petra; Dietrich, Kathleen Ann
"This paper is a methodological contribution to emerging debates on the role of learning,particularly forward-looking (anticipatory) learning, as a key element for adaptation and resilience in the context of climate change. First, we describe two major challenges: understanding adaptation as a process and recognizing the inadequacy of existing learning tools, with a specific focus on high poverty contexts and complex livelihood-vulnerability risks. Then, the article examines learning processes from a dynamic systems perspective, comparing theoretical aspects and conceptual advances in resilience thinking and action research/learning (AR/AL). Particular attention is paid to learning loops (cycles), critical reflection, spaces for learning, and power. Finally, we outline a methodological framework to facilitate iterative learning processes and adaptive decision making in practice. We stress memory, monitoring of key drivers of change, scenario planning, and measuring anticipatory capacity as crucial ingredients. Our aim is to identify opportunities and obstacles for forward-looking learning processes at the intersection of climatic uncertainty and development challenges in Africa, with the overarching objective to enhance adaptation and resilient livelihood pathways, rather than learning by shock."
Devolved Regions, Fragmented Landscapes: The Struggle for Sustainability in Madrid
(2010) Hewitt, Richard; Hernandez-Jimenez, Veronica
"This article reflects on the recent unsustainable land use changes in the Autonomous Community of Madrid and asserts the need for progress towards economically, environmentally and socially sustainable development models. Following research undertaken over the last six years there are encouraging signs of agreement between stakeholders and the problem has begun to 'open up.' Here a new phase of problem solving is initiated, in which particular tendencies toward unsustainability are identified using a variety of basic indicators. These 'Sustainability Action Areas' can be targeted for collaborative sustainability initiatives involving groups of municipalities aggregated according to their response to particular indicators."
Facilitating Transitional Processes in Rigid Institutional Regimes for Water Management and Wetland Conservation: Experience from the Guadalquivir Estuary
(2012) Méndez, Pablo F.; Isendahl, Nicola; Amezaga, Jaime M.; Santamaría, Luis
"Traditional policies for water resources management and wetland conservation are often based on command-and-control approaches. The latter tend to drive the human–wetland–water system into pathological states, characterized by more vulnerable ecosystems and rigid institutions for governance. The overcoming of these states may rest in the development of flexible and adaptive institutional regimes that rely on adaptive governance and management. Because past factors might constrain the implementation of more flexible adaptive approaches to management, it is important to understand the historical mechanisms underlying the genesis of institutional rigidity. We first present the results of a historical analysis of Doñana, which can be characterized as a pathological water socio-ecosystem governed through rigid institutional regimes for water resources management and wetland conservation. In a second step, we analyze the advances achieved during a recent, large-scale restoration program for the Doñana wetlands, which adhered explicitly to the tenets of adaptive management. Our analysis indicated that the historical persistence of command-and-control approaches has been a path-dependent process that led to the emergence of a rigid institutional regime and caused it to enter a rigidity trap. However, the achievements of the restoration program suggest that a more flexible and adaptive regime could be developed through the introduction of adaptive management at the operational levels, using specifically tailored action research programs. To conclude, we speculate that the research strategy outlined could be extended to comply with, or complement, the requirements of the EU's Water Framework Directive in other European water socio-ecosystems."
Monitoring Priority/Priority Dangerous Substances in the Somes-Tisa River Basin: Results and Interpretation
(2009) Popa, Giana; Coșier, Viorica
"Ensuring the quality management of the water source in the hydrographic basin Someș-Tisa, in the acception of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, to reach to the good ecological status, involves the establishment of integrated monitoring and of some action plans for those sources that generate priority/priority dangerous substances (list I/ list II) in order to eliminate/decrease the pollution of the aquatic environment. The results of the monitoring put into light the areas of industrial/human activity generating chemical compounds under the incidence of EU Directive 2006/11/EC, replacing EU Directive 76/464/EC (the pollution due to discharges of dangerous substances in aquatic environment), as well as the level of pollution induced by them. From the analysis of the data base, the constitution at the level of the hydrographic basin Someș-Tisa, realized in concordance with the requirements of the legislation in the area of the management of the water source, the way of action and the measures needed to reach the level of compliance with the terms established in the Position Document between Romania and European Commission about Chapter 22 - Environment was adopted. The concreting of the diligences to comply with the EU Directive 2006/11/EC shall be realized in the report to elaborate at the end of the period of transition for the substances from List I (31.12.2009), as well as by applying the Management Plan of Someș-Tisa River Basin."

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Browsing Journal Article by Subject "action research"