How knowledge is used in collaborative environmental governance: water classification in New Brunswick, Canada
Collaboration is an increasingly important approach to dealing with complex environmental challenges. Participation of diverse actors in collaborative processes necessitates attention to the use of different forms of knowledge. We use a multi-case study of governance for water in New
Brunswick, Canada, to explore knowledge-related concerns that are prominent in collaborative processes. As is common in other contexts, local or lay (experiential) forms of knowledge appeared to play complementary but ultimately subordinate roles to expert technical and scientific knowledge
in the cases. Importantly, we found that the distinction between ‘expert’ and ‘local’ knowledge was not at all clear for the many participants. This study reinforces the importance of designing reflexive and flexible processes for encouraging the active engagement and
use of knowledge in collaboration.
Keywords: New Brunswick, Canada; collaborative environmental governance; expert knowledge; knowledge use; lay knowledge; local knowledge; watershed management
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Water Policy and Governance Group, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
Publication date: 04 March 2015
- Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Subscribe to this Title
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content