Strategies for integrating scientific evidence in water policy and law in the face of uncertainty
Kotamäki, N., Arhonditsis, G., Hjerppe, T., Hyytiäinen, K., Malve, O., Ovaskainen, O., Paloniitty, T., Similä, J., Soininen, N., Weigel, B., & Heiskanen, A.-S. (2024). Strategies for integrating scientific evidence in water policy and law in the face of uncertainty. Science of the Total Environment, 931, Article 172855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172855
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Science of the Total EnvironmentAuthors
Date
2024Copyright
© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Understanding how human actions and environmental change affect water resources is crucial for addressing complex water management issues. The scientific tools that can produce the necessary information are ecological indicators, referring to measurable properties of the ecosystem state; environmental monitoring, the data collection process that is required to evaluate the progress towards reaching water management goals; mathematical models, linking human disturbances with the ecosystem state to predict environmental impacts; and scenarios, assisting in long-term management and policy implementation. Paradoxically, despite the rapid generation of data, evolving scientific understanding, and recent advancements in systems modeling, there is a striking imbalance between knowledge production and knowledge utilization in decision-making. In this paper, we examine the role and potential capacity of scientific tools in guiding governmental decision-making processes and identify the most critical disparities between water management, policy, law, and science. We demonstrate how the complex, uncertain, and gradually evolving nature of scientific knowledge might not always fit aptly to the legislative and policy processes and structures. We contend that the solution towards increased understanding of socio-ecological systems and reduced uncertainty lies in strengthening the connections between water management theory and practice, among the scientific tools themselves, among different stakeholders, and among the social, economic, and ecological facets of water quality management, law, and policy. We conclude by tying in three knowledge-exchange strategies, namely - adaptive management, Driver-Pressure-Status-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, and participatory modeling - that offer complementary perspectives to bridge the gap between science and policy.
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ElsevierISSN Search the Publication Forum
0048-9697Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/213450380
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European CommissionFunding program(s)
ERC European Research Council, H2020
The content of the publication reflects only the author’s view. The funder is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Additional information about funding
This work was funded by the Strategic Research Council of Academy of Finland (Contract No. 312650 BlueAdapt). OO was supported by the Academy of Finland grant 309581 and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program; grant agreement No 856506; ERC -synergy project LIFEPLAN.License
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