What are the Benefits of the Water Framework Directive? Lessons Learned for Policy Design from Preference Revelation

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Artell ◽  
Anni Huhtala
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Lessons Learned

scholarly journals Tinkering With the Plumbing of Sustainable Enterprises: The Case for Field Experimental Research in Corporate Sustainability

2021 ◽  
pp. 108602662110286
Author(s):  
Andrew Spicer ◽  
Marcus Wagner ◽  
Maurizio Zollo
Keyword(s):  
Development Process ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
Sustainability Strategies ◽  
Engineering Problems ◽  
Randomized Control

In this introduction, we first review the lessons learned in development economics about the ability of randomized control trials to analyse what Duflo refers to as the “plumbing problems” of policy implementation, as opposed to “engineering problems” of policy design. We then examine the papers published within this special issue from a plumbing-based perspective to highlight the benefits of the co-creation of knowledge in corporate sustainability through a field-based experimental agenda. We finally propose that field-based experiments can radically influence the future development of our (and related) fields of inquiry in three ways: (1) focusing on the implementation processes of sustainability strategies, (2) shifting attention from the analysis of past events to the design of future actions, and (3) yielding our role as sole owners of the knowledge development process and agreeing to shared ownership with the organizations we study.

scholarly journals THE USE AND INFLUENCE OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAKING: LESSONS LEARNED FROM NOVA SCOTIA

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzuette S. Soomai
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Science Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coastal Policy ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Science Policy Interface

Governmental organisations produce vast quantities of scientific information on the state of the marine and coastal environment which is often intended to guide policy-making to mitigate or reverse the declining trends in the health of the environment. How scientific information is used and how it influences environmental policy and decision making are however not well understood. The apparent disconnect between the knowledge and information produced by scientists and that used by policy makers is attributed to problems at the science-policy interface. Based on a multi-disciplinary literature review, this paper describes how policy makersseek out and use scientific information within the context of policy design in the 21st century. Best practices for increasing information flows across the science-policy interface are drawn from a study of the awareness, use, and influence of The 2009 State of the Nova Scotia Coast Report in coastal policy making in Nova Scotia.Strategic or rational approaches to policy making can increase the two-way flow of information across the science-policy interface as it facilitates collaboration among multiple actors in information generation, transmis-sion, and use. The production, use, and influence of The 2009 State ofNova Scotia's Coast Report in coastal policy making in Nova Scotia demonstrates the strategic approach to policy making whereby coastal policy is being developed through (i) intergovernmental partnerships, (ii) the use of best available information, (iii) linkages between the policy process and policy output, and (iv) public participation.

scholarly journals Implementation of the Water Framework Directive: Lessons learned and future perspectives for an ecologically meaningful classification of the status of Greek lakes, Mediterranean region

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Moustaka-Gouni ◽  
Ulrich Sommer ◽  
Athena Economou-Amilli ◽  
George B. Arhonditsis ◽  
Matina Katsiapi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Quality Assessment ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Greek Lakes ◽  
The Status ◽  
National Boundaries

ABSTRACTThe enactment of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) initiated scientific efforts to develop reliable methods for comparing prevailing lake conditions against reference (or non-impaired) states, using the state of a set biological elements. Drawing a distinction between impaired and natural conditions can be a challenging exercise, as it stipulates the robust delineation of reference conditions along with the establishment of threshold values for key environmental variables used as proxies for the degree of system impairment. Another important aspect is to ensure that water quality assessment is comparable among the different Member States. In this context, the present paper offers a constructive critique of the practices followed during the WFD implementation in Greece by pinpointing methodological weaknesses and knowledge gaps that undermine our ability to classify the ecological status of Greek lakes. One of the pillars of WDF is a valid lake typology that sets ecological standards transcending geographic regions and national boundaries. The national typology of Greek lakes has failed to take into account essential components (e.g. surface area, altitude, salinity). WFD compliance assessments based on descriptions of phytoplankton communities are oversimplified and as such should be revisited. Exclusion of most chroococcal species from the analysis of cyanobacteria biovolume in Greek lakes and most reservoirs in the Mediterranean Geographical Intercalibration Group (Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus) is not consistent with the distribution of those taxa in lakes. Similarly, the total biovolume reference values and the indices used in their classification schemes reflect misunderstandings of WFD core principles. This hampers the comparability of ecological status across Europe and leads to quality standards that are too relaxed to provide an efficient target especially for the protection and management of Greek/transboundary lakes such as Lake Megali Prespa, one of the oldest lakes in Europe.

The Environment for Development Initiative: lessons learned in research, academic capacity building and policy intervention to manage resources for sustainable growth

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-391
Author(s):  
Thomas Sterner ◽  
Yonas Alem ◽  
Francisco Alpízar ◽  
Cyndi Spindell Berck ◽  
Carlos Alberto Chavez Rebolledo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
International Development ◽  
Environmental Economics ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches

AbstractThis article reviews the history of the Environment for Development (EfD) initiative, its activities in capacity building and policy-oriented research, and case studies at its centres in Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. EfD promotes research-based policies to manage natural resources as engines of development. Since 1991, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has provided funding for students from developing countries to earn a PhD at the Environmental Economics Unit (EEU) of the University of Gothenburg. Returning home, these economists face institutional and academic gaps that limit the adoption of research-based policies. In response, the first EfD centre was founded in 2004, and six more followed. Research focuses on agriculture, climate, fisheries, parks, wildlife, forestry, energy and policy design. This has yielded 200 peer-reviewed articles. Successful policy outcomes depend on relationships with policy makers, community involvement in livelihood strategies, strengthened institutional support, interdisciplinary approaches, and dissemination of research results.

scholarly journals Applied use of taxonomy: lessons learned from the first German intercalibration exercise for benthic diatoms

2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Dreßler ◽  
Geurt Verweij ◽  
Sonja Kistenich ◽  
Maria Kahlert ◽  
Petra Werner
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
European Water Framework Directive ◽  
Basic Data ◽  
Benthic Diatoms ◽  
Running Waters ◽  
European Water ◽  
Species Descriptions

Abstract The first German intercalibration exercise for benthic diatoms was conducted to improve the application of the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive for running waters and lakes in Germany. The intercalibration exercise revealed several taxonomic problems. Among others, considerable problems occurred with identifying and differentiating species of the following four groups: (I) Amphora indistincta Levkov and A. pediculus (Kützing) Grunow, (II) Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta Ehrenberg and C. placentula var. lineata (Ehrenberg) Van Heurck, (III) Navicula cryptotenella Lange-Bertalot and N. cryptotenelloides Lange-Bertalot and (IV) N. reichardtiana Lange-Bertalot and N. caterva Hohn & Hellermann. The taxonomic problems that emerged occurred due to both insufficient use of given taxonomic details (by limnologists) and ambiguous species descriptions and documentation (by taxonomists). Thus, we recommend to the applied limnologist to use the mandatory identification literature and to document any ambiguous valves during routine counts. Also, it would be desirable to further investigate certain species by taxonomists and, in general, to provide more basic data with species descriptions or in identification manuals. These measures will improve the use of diatoms as bioindicators and consequently benefit both applied limnologists and taxonomists.

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