Stakeholder engagement and collaborative governance have become increasingly important in the field of river basin management. Modern basin management strategies tend to take an adaptive or integrative management approach, which call for broad stakeholder inclusion to account for the increasing uncertainty and competing demands placed on water resources. This dissertation examines several key aspects of stakeholder participation: public awareness and value of participation in management, opportunities and barriers to participation, and the effect of public participation on watershed management outcomes. A major goal of this project is to identify factors that enhance managers’ ability to include effective stakeholder participation in the water governance process. While opportunities for participation are increasingly mandated as part of environmental management practices, the quality of that participation is often called into question. In the first of three papers comprising this dissertation, I conducted an interdisciplinary study assessing risk perception and actual health risks from exposure to metals in fish from the Tisza River Basin of central Europe. Mining in the region has chronically introduced metals; however, two major mine-tailings spill in 2000 contributed an estimated 240,000 m3 of wastewater and tailings contaminated with cyanide and metals to the system. In 2013 and 2014, water and fish (N=99) collected from the lower Tisza River Basin were analyzed for cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. Concurrently, surveys (N=45) collected near sampling sites assessed fish consumption patterns and risk perception. Metals in water exceeded regulatory criteria at multiple sites, however metals are not bioaccumulating to a concerning degree in fish as bioaccumulation factors were below 1. Fillets were within European Food Safety Authority recommendations; however, the Target Hazard Quotient for lead was elevated at 1.5 for average consumers and 3.5 for people who consume fish twice weekly. The majority of survey participants were unconcerned with local fish consumption (87%), citing the “clean” appearance of fishing locations. Participants also reported relatively low fish consumption, with most (76%) eating basin fish once a week or less. While our study indicates fish are generally safe for human consumption, waters are polluted, suggesting that local fishing populations may be at risk from unseen pollutants and highlighting the need for monitoring and notification systems. Broadening the analysis of local stakeholders and stakeholder perception to the basin level, the second paper for this dissertation examined public perception and public participation in Tisza River Basin management. The complexity associated with achieving sustainable river basin management plans for international, transboundary river basins, such as the Tisza River Basin in central Europe, make them an ideal study area for examining the influence of education and experience on stakeholder perception of basin management. This study presents findings from analysis of in-person surveys to examine differences in local stakeholder perceptions of the Tisza River Basin across employment and education sectors through analysis of participants’ levels of knowledge, experience, and involvement in basin management. The survey was conducted among members of the public in locations across the basin, in which participants were asked to identify and rank their opinions of factors affecting the health of the river basin, to identify observed changes in flood patterns, and to rank their level of interest and participation in basin management activities. To evaluate whether experience affected responses, participants were grouped according to whether they worked in the public or private sector, and by their level of education (no college, undergraduate, or graduate school). Significant differences in stakeholder responses were found between education levels attained among participants in the public versus the private sector, and between the reported levels of environmental concern among participants of different education levels. Participants also reported low levels of participation and monitoring of management activities. These differences and lack of participation highlight the need for public education in participatory governance structures to support sustainable river basin management efforts. The Upper Mississippi River Basin is similar to the Tisza River Basin in its transboundary nature and the predominance of agriculture in the region. The Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) is a largely rural watershed (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri) that is heavily managed for agriculture and agricultural exports. This has led to water quality impairments both within the Upper Mississippi River Basin and contributed significantly to the large hypoxic zone of the Gulf of Mexico. Management responses have led to the formation of collaborative responses across stakeholder groups, including states, agencies, industry, non-government organizations, and the public. In the third paper of this dissertation, I shifted my focus from the public to another set of local stakeholders, environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs), and their influence on river basin management. ENGOs are recognized as serving as implementers, catalysts, and partners with government agencies in the management process. To assess the participatory role of ENGOs in watershed management in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, expert interviews were conducted with members actively engaged in watershed-related activities. Participants were asked to identify their key areas of

Voluntary environmental initiatives (VEIs) promise to provide firms and facilities additional flexibility and motivation in managing their environmental affairs in part by reducing compliance and enforcement costs and improving their public image. As a result, since 1990, over 13,000 organizations have participated in more than 100 US and international VEIs. In order for these initiatives to be successful, they need to be implemented following good practice guidelines, reliable enforcement mechanisms, appropriate monitoring, reporting, transparency, and public information availability. All of these activities may be contingent on high levels of stakeholder participation. Little is known, however, about how different stakeholders have been involved in the development of these programs and how this participation varies for different types of VEIs. By conducting an Internet based survey to 63 VEI managers, this research examines the diversity and intensity of stakeholder participation in the design and implementation of VEIs relative to sponsorship. This study concluded that VEIs developed by a partnership between different organizations had the largest number of different types of stakeholders involved. Yet, industry and government sponsored initiatives had a number of different types of participants very close to what occurred in the design of partnership VEIs. Third-party initiatives had the lowest diversity of participants involved in the design of their programs. This pattern illustrates that the VEI sponsors traditionally more susceptible to criticism in terms of credibility are the ones more concerned with stakeholder involvement in the development of their initiatives. As for the role of specific stakeholders, it was observed that government sponsored VEIs had a higher degree of involvement from industry associations than from any other stakeholder. Even if the degree of involvement by non-profit organizations was not considerably lower than by industry associations, the existing difference supports the critique that government VEIs are generally developed in a tighter cooperation with the private sector and sometimes without the collaboration of the civil society. As for third-party initiatives, it was observed that the industry sector had a higher degree of involvement than the government. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

The crucial role of groundwater and the centrality of water governance in accommodating growing water demands sustainably are becoming well recognized. We review 10 case studies of groundwater governance-representing diverse global regions and local contexts-from the perspective of four well-established elements: (1) institutional setting; (2) availability and access to information and science; (3) robustness of civil society; and (4) economic and regulatory frameworks. For institutional setting, we find that governing is often a thankless task that paradoxically requires popularity; legislation does not always translate to implementation; conflict resolution is central to governance; and funding is critical for governance. In terms of information access, we see: a need for research for natural systems, social systems, and institutions; trust as an essential element in research; and that urbanized landscapes are critical components of groundwater governance. Looking at civil society robustness, we observe that equity is an essential element for governance; community-based governance requires intention; and leaders can play a powerful role in uniting stakeholders. As for frameworks, the cases suggest that economic incentives sometimes yield unintended results; "indirect" management should be used cautiously; and economic incentives' effectiveness depends on the system employed. Collectively, the lessons speak to the need for shared governance capacities on the part of governments at multiple levels and civil society actors.

No description available.

Sharks and manta rays are being heavily fished in Indonesia due to Asian demand for shark fins and manta gill rakers. The Indonesian government passed legislation in February 2014 to protect the two species of manta rays. A number of shark species have also been protected or banned from export. A major factor in this decision was the proven economic benefits from ecotourism compared to the economic benefits from the shark finning and manta gill industry.However, previous research on marine conservation underlines that there is a lack of social scientific studies on the socio-economic impacts that marine conservation have on stakeholder fishing communities. In an attempt to start filling this gap of knowledge, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate how the shark and manta ray conservation efforts affect the socio-economic situation of different stakeholder fishing communities in Indonesia. Fieldwork was done in fishing communities in the Komodo and Nusa Penida regions, together with the fishing village Tanjung Luar in Lombok, where people in fishing communities were interviewed about their livelihood situation. The study found that the impacts of marine conservation on the economic situation for stakeholder fishermen affects their attitude towards and compliance with marine conservation efforts. If no profitable economic alternatives are given to fishing, fishing communities have a lower degree of compliance with conservation efforts.

In water governance, where problems are controversial and value laden, different forms of stakeholder involvement have become common and are frequently required. Stakeholder participation is often recognized as fundamental to the legitimacy and success of negotiated environmental decisions, but the intricacies of why stakeholders participate has received less attention. We examine factors that influenced stakeholder participation in the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement of 2010. The research draws on in-depth, semistructured interviews of a sample recruited from stakeholder organizations in the Klamath River Basin. Results indicate that previous negative experiences did not translate into nonparticipation; divisions within seemingly aligned stakeholder organizations encouraged some stakeholders to participate and others to actively oppose negotiations; stakeholders' perceptions of power differentials encouraged both stakeholder participation and exclusion in negotiations; and concerns about relationship development during negotiations suggest that relationship building may be viewed as part of the negotiation process.

Protection of water resources in a changing climate depends on bottom-up stewardship and adaptive management. From the ground up, a vital component is maintaining soil ecosystem services that regulate water, recycle nutrients, sequester carbon, provide food, and other benefits. Interacting spatial, social, and physical factors determine agricultural and stormwater management, and their impact on water. This dissertation explores these dimensions within a complex social-ecological system. The first chapter evaluates a participatory process to elicit solutions to complex environmental problems across science, policy, and practice. The second chapter studies on-farm soil assessment and its role in informing management decisions and supporting adaptive capacity. The third chapter investigates cross-scale dynamics of residential green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) for improved water resource management in a broader social-ecological context. Integrating participant feedback into current science, research, and decision-making processes is an important challenge. A novel approach that combines a Delphi method with contemporary “crowdsourcing” to address water pollution in Lake Champlain Basin in the context of climate change is presented. Fifty-three participants proposed and commented on adaptive solutions in an online Delphi that occurred over a six-week period during the Spring of 2014. In a follow-up Multi-Stakeholder workshop, thirty-eight stakeholders participated in refining and synthesizing the forum’s results. The stakeholders’ interventions from the crowdsourcing forum have contributed to the current policy dialogue in Vermont to address phosphorus loading to Lake Champlain. This stakeholder approach strengthens traditional modeling scenario development to include priorities that have been collectively refined and vetted. Healthy agricultural soils cannot easily be prescribed to farms and require knowledge and a long-term commitment to a holistic and adaptive approach. The second chapter addresses the questions: “to what extent do farmers use indicators of soil health, and does feedback inform management decisions?” A survey of farmers in two Vermont watersheds was conducted in 2016 showed relatively high use of fourteen soil indicators and high rankings of their importance. The finding that there were differences in use and perceived importance of soil indicators across management and land-use types has implications beyond the farm scale for agriculture, and the provision of ecosystem services. Soil management relates to broader adaptation strategies including resistance, resilience, and transformation that affects adaptive capacity of agroecosystems. Bottom-up adoption of environmental behaviors, such as implementing residential GSI, need to be understood in the context of the broader social-ecological landscape to understand implications for improved water management. A statewide survey of Vermont residents paired a cross-scale and spatial analysis to evaluate how intention to adopt three different GSI practices (infiltration trenches, diversion of roof runoff, and rain gardens) varies with barriers to adoption and household attributes across varying stormwater contexts from the household to watershed scale. Improved stormwater management outcomes at the watershed and local levels depend on management strategies that can be implemented and adapted along the rural-urban gradient, across the bio-physical landscape, and according to varying norms and institutional arrangements.

Stakeholder participation has become a valuable tool for agencies in the field of environmental planning. The potential benefits, for both agencies and individuals, of involving stakeholders in the planning process have been widely recognized and well documented. However, the success of participatory initiatives depends on the extent to which local stakeholders are interested in, and capable of, becoming involved in the process. Thus, the outcomes for each process vary as planning issues are dependent on their local context. This study aimed to evaluative the characteristics of successful stakeholder in planning. Specifically, it strived to obtain an understanding of successful stakeholder engagement through developing and integrating an evaluative framework based on the literature with the motivations and perceptions of agencies representatives and local stakeholders. In order to achieve these goals, the evaluative framework was applied to a case study of the Tiffany Creek subwatershed in Hamilton, Ontario. The case study revealed that determining and incorporating the opinions of agencies and stakeholders toward a participatory process can shed light on the characteristics of successful stakeholder participation in a given region. The characteristics of successful stakeholder participation and the integration of agency and stakeholders viewpoints into the planning process are discussed and recommendations to improve participatory processes in environmental planning are provided.

Stakeholder participation has become a valuable tool for agencies in the field of environmental planning. The potential benefits, for both agencies and individuals, of involving stakeholders in the planning process have been widely recognized and well documented. However, the success of participatory initiatives depends on the extent to which local stakeholders are interested in, and capable of, becoming involved in the process. Thus, the outcomes for each process vary as planning issues are dependent on their local context. This study aimed to evaluative the characteristics of successful stakeholder in planning. Specifically, it strived to obtain an understanding of successful stakeholder engagement through developing and integrating an evaluative framework based on the literature with the motivations and perceptions of agencies representatives and local stakeholders. In order to achieve these goals, the evaluative framework was applied to a case study of the Tiffany Creek subwatershed in Hamilton, Ontario. The case study revealed that determining and incorporating the opinions of agencies and stakeholders toward a participatory process can shed light on the characteristics of successful stakeholder participation in a given region. The characteristics of successful stakeholder participation and the integration of agency and stakeholders viewpoints into the planning process are discussed and recommendations to improve participatory processes in environmental planning are provided.

Managing groundwater can be difficult because there is no common perspective among stakeholders about what they wish for their desired future conditions (DFCs) for Texas' aquifers. Conflicts over how to manage aquifers, whether to mine or sustain groundwater levels are complicated by diverse state and local approaches. This dissertation proposes a decision support method to derive acceptable future aquifer conditions through engaging stakeholders by combining five processes: landowner surveys, stakeholder and decision maker focus groups, contingent valuation, system element identification and scenario-testing. Surveys of water users identified conflicts among water users and decision makers' preferences. For example, how much is groundwater worth in Texas? Responses to two survey questions revealed a willingness to buy groundwater for an average of $2,872 per acre-foot. Most landowners most did not want to sell groundwater at any cost. Those willing to sell revealed an average of $4,069 per acre-foot. A survey of landowners and decision makers indicated that 41 percent of landowners indicated that no new users be issued permits to support stable Trinity Aquifer groundwater levels. Meanwhile, the decision makers chose a DFC of a 30 foot drawdown in the Trinity Aquifer over 50 years. Stakeholder surveys identified the 'best groundwater decision makers' as being the stakeholders or well owners, yet 75 percent of the decision makers preferred the groundwater conservation district board presidents. This suggests that stakeholders would prefer to be the decision makers rather than being asked for their preferences. One decision-maker focus group identified 12 elements representing their understanding of the DFC process. These elements form a system information diagram or preference map. Such a map can help identify alternative pathways for solving problems in the decision process. These complexities remain challenging as Texas moves toward more local regulatory control, more competing interests, and less certainty about Texas' future groundwater supply. / text