Jeremy Pittman

Negotiating the Use of Biodiversity in Marine Areas beyond National Jurisdiction

A relatively small group of states is disproportionately active in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), raising questions of equity, while a myriad of sectoral regulations and guidelines spread across multiple international bodies has led to uneven conservation and use of biological diversity and resources in these areas. Within this context, the UN General Assembly resolved in 2015 to begin negotiations on an international legally-binding instrument to conserve and protect biodiversity in ABNJ, with the negotiations framed by four issues: (1) marine genetic resources, including questions on the sharing of benefits; (2) measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas; (3) environmental impact assessments; (4) capacity building and the transfer of marine technology. Yet our analysis demonstrates that least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) are significantly under-represented in regional and international meetings on such issues, while the authorship of academic literature on these topics is dominated to an unusual extent by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member states (97%). Statistical analysis of delegation statements delivered during the first round of negotiations following the UN General Assembly resolution also illustrates that the interests of OECD member states differ substantially from LDCs and SIDS, suggesting that imbalanced representation has the potential to result in skewed negotiations. Moreover, the restriction on negotiating parties not to undermine the mandate of existing organizations limits their maneuverability, and may hamper progress towards achieving ambitious time-bound commitments to promote sustainable resource use and reduce inequality (e.g. under the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Targets). With ABNJ covering half the world’s surface, self-interested compliance with new regulations is the most promising pathway to conservation and sustainable use, yet remains unlikely unless states feel their views, concerns and best interests have been reflected in the negotiated agreement.

Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual Review and Analytical Framework

There has been increasing attention to and investment in local environmental stewardship in conservation and environmental management policies and programs globally. Yet environmental stewardship has not received adequate conceptual attention. Establishing a clear definition and comprehensive analytical framework could strengthen our ability to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of environmental stewardship in different contexts and how to most effectively support and enable local efforts. Here we propose such a definition and framework. First, we define local environmental stewardship as the actions taken by individuals, groups or networks of actors, with various motivations and levels of capacity, to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment in pursuit of environmental and/or social outcomes in diverse social–ecological contexts. Next, drawing from a review of the environmental stewardship, management and governance literatures, we unpack the elements of this definition to develop an analytical framework that can facilitate research on local environmental stewardship. Finally, we discuss potential interventions and leverage points for promoting or supporting local stewardship and future applications of the framework to guide descriptive, evaluative, prescriptive or systematic analysis of environmental stewardship. Further application of this framework in diverse environmental and social contexts is recommended to refine the elements and develop insights that will guide and improve the outcomes of environmental stewardship initiatives and investments. Ultimately, our aim is to raise the profile of environmental stewardship as a valuable and holistic concept for guiding productive and sustained relationships with the environment.

Climate change and marine fisheries: Least developed countries top global index of vulnerability

Future impacts of climate change on marine fisheries have the potential to negatively influence a wide range of socio-economic factors, including food security, livelihoods and public health, and even to reshape development trajectories and spark transboundary conflict. Yet there is considerable variability in the vulnerability of countries around the world to these effects. We calculate a vulnerability index of 147 countries by drawing on the most recent data related to the impacts of climate change on marine fisheries. Building on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change framework for vulnerability, we first construct aggregate indices for exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity using 12 primary variables. Seven out of the ten most vulnerable countries on the resulting index are Small Island Developing States, and the top quartile of the index includes countries located in Africa (17), Asia (7), North America and the Caribbean (4) and Oceania (8). More than 87% of least developed countries are found within the top half of the vulnerability index, while the bottom half includes all but one of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development member states. This is primarily due to the tremendous variation in countries’ adaptive capacity, as no such trends are evident from the exposure or sensitivity indices. A negative correlation exists between vulnerability and per capita carbon emissions, and the clustering of states at different levels of development across the vulnerability index suggests growing barriers to meeting global commitments to reducing inequality, promoting human well-being and ensuring sustainable cities and communities. The index provides a useful tool for prioritizing the allocation of climate finance, as well as activities aimed at capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.

Emerging Concepts in Adaptive Management

Adaptive management is an elegant concept. Structure management interventions and policies as experiments, monitor feedback, and make necessary adjustments. Yet, the implementation of adaptive management has often been difficult, and the outcomes unclear. We examine in this chapter six issues or concepts that emerge as central to ongoing efforts to advance the theory and practice of adaptive management of natural resources: (1) adopting a transdisciplinary perspective on adaptive management; (2) shifting from a natural resource management to social-ecological systems perspective; (3) situating adaptive management within a governance context; (4) surfacing the role of power in adaptive management processes; (5) engaging with knowledge co-production; and (6) exploring the role of adaptive management as a deliberative tool in support of social-ecological transformations.

The interplay between incremental, transitional, and transformational adaptation: a case study of Canadian agriculture

We develop and apply a synthetic framework for understanding potential adaptations to climate change in the Canadian agriculture sector through a case study of irrigated agriculture in the Oldman River Basin. Our framework examines the incremental, transitional, and transformational elements of climate change adaptation (the Adapt IT2 framework, for short), and we apply our framework to focus group discussions around hypothetical hydro-climatic variability and extremes to identify past and potential future adaptations. By applying our framework, we uncover the nuanced interplay between incremental and transformation adaptation and develop the related concept of transition. Our work provides insights into the interactions between the different types of adaptation processes, and our findings indicate that: (1) There are interdependencies between and among actions and actors across various scales and (2) one type of adaptation can set boundaries for the other. This work also identifies thresholds that, when perceived to be surpassed by actors, may facilitate transformation. It concludes with opportunities for further research, particularly into the transitional space that exists between the two types of adaptation.

Exploring adaptive management in environmental farm programs in Saskatchewan, Canada

This paper assesses two policy programs employed over the last several decades in the rural agricultural sector in Saskatchewan, Canada through the lens of adaptive management. The programs relate to farm environmental management practices and farm water infrastructure, which reduce the vulnerability of agricultural producers to climate change impacts. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with key informants from the agricultural policy community and then interpreted through qualitative content analysis. Results contribute to the scholarship of adaptive management and suggest ways to improve the two farm programs.

How does network governance affect social-ecological fit across the land–sea interface? An empirical assessment from the Lesser Antilles

Governance across the land–sea interface presents many challenges related to (1) the engagement of diverse actors and systems of knowledge, (2) the coordinated management of shared ecological resources, and (3) the development of mechanisms to address or account for biogeochemical (e.g., nutrient flows) and ecological (e.g., species movements) interdependencies between marine and terrestrial systems. If left unaddressed, these challenges can lead to multiple problems of social-ecological fit stemming from governance fragmentation or inattention to various components of land–sea systems. Network governance is hypothesized to address these multiple challenges, yet its specific role in affecting social-ecological fit across the land–sea interface is not well understood. We aim to improve this understanding by examining how network governance affects social-ecological fit across the land–sea interface in two empirical case studies from the Lesser Antilles: Dominica and Saint Lucia. We found that network governance plays a clear role in coordinating management of shared resources and providing capacity to address interactions between ecological entities. Yet, its potential role in engaging diverse actors and addressing, specifically, biogeochemical interactions across the land–sea interface has not been fully realized. Our research suggests that network governance is beneficial, but not sufficient, to improve social-ecological fit across the land–sea interface. Strategically leveraging the network processes (e.g., triadic closure) leading to the existing governance networks could prove useful in addressing the current deficiencies in the networks. Additionally, the interplay between hierarchical and networked modes of governance appears to be a critical issue in determining social-ecological fit at the land–sea interface.

Qualitative data sharing and re-use for socio-environmental systems research: A synthesis of opportunities, challenges, resources and approaches

This work was supported by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) under funding received from the National Science Foundation DBI-1052875.

Quantifying ecological and social drivers of ecological surprise

Author(s): Filbee-Dexter, K; Symons, CC; Jones, K; Haig, HA; Pittman, J; Alexander, SM; Burke, MJ | Abstract: