TY - CHAP

T1 - Complexity in Water Management and Governance

AU - Kirschke, Sabrina

AU - Newig, Jens

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/6/12

Y1 - 2021/6/12

N2 - Water management is often facing complex problems, which are particularly challenging to address. But while the term 'complexity' has increasingly been used, the concept and its implications for management and governance have often remained unclear. Building on both conceptual and empirical research, this chapter sheds light on complexity in the water field from a management and governance perspective. Analytical concepts of complexity are described and distinguished from related concepts such as 'wicked' and 'uncertain' problems. Further, three types of approaches to address complex problems are discussed, characterized by various understandings of complexity, governance approaches, and emphasis put on inputs (processes) and outputs (results). The chapter provides examples of addressing complex problems, including installing an Integrated Water Resources Management, implementing a Nexus approach to environmental resources and sectors, and addressing poor water quality within the European Water Framework Directive. The chapter concludes on the future role and design of governance research in addressing complex water management problems.

AB - Water management is often facing complex problems, which are particularly challenging to address. But while the term 'complexity' has increasingly been used, the concept and its implications for management and governance have often remained unclear. Building on both conceptual and empirical research, this chapter sheds light on complexity in the water field from a management and governance perspective. Analytical concepts of complexity are described and distinguished from related concepts such as 'wicked' and 'uncertain' problems. Further, three types of approaches to address complex problems are discussed, characterized by various understandings of complexity, governance approaches, and emphasis put on inputs (processes) and outputs (results). The chapter provides examples of addressing complex problems, including installing an Integrated Water Resources Management, implementing a Nexus approach to environmental resources and sectors, and addressing poor water quality within the European Water Framework Directive. The chapter concludes on the future role and design of governance research in addressing complex water management problems.

KW - Environmental Governance

KW - complexity

KW - European Water Framework Directive

KW - Integrated Water Resources Management

KW - Nexus

KW - Uncertainty

KW - Water quality

KW - Wicked problems

KW - complexity

KW - European Water Framework Directive

KW - Integrated Water Resources Management

KW - Nexus

KW - Uncertainty

KW - Water quality

KW - Wicked problems

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134468879&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/2d78aceb-d01b-3d1a-853e-847d6110d38f/

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-60147-8_25

DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-60147-8_25

M3 - Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

SN - 978-3-030-60145-4

SP - 801

EP - 810

BT - Handbook of Water Resources Management: Discourses, Concepts and Examples

A2 - Bogardi, Janos J.

A2 - Gupta, Joyeeta

A2 - Nandalal, K. D. Wasantha

A2 - Salamé, Léna

A2 - van Nooijen, Ronald R. P.

A2 - Kumar, Navneet

A2 - Tingsanchali, Tawatchai

A2 - Bhaduri, Anik

A2 - Kolechkina, Alla G.

PB - Springer Nature

CY - Cham

ER -