Local stakeholder judgements of the social acceptability of applying environmental water in the Gunbower Island forest on the Murray River, Australia

Water Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Mendham ◽  
Allan Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Water ◽  
Social Acceptability ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Local Stakeholder ◽  
Murray River ◽  
The Social ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Water Reform

Abstract Australian governments have purchased large volumes of water from irrigators to decrease the amount of water diverted for agriculture to improve the health of the Murray River. Irrigation entitlements ‘bought back’ are managed by government agencies and are broadly described as ‘environmental water’. The water reform process, the volume of water bought back from irrigators and the objectives and application of environmental water are all contested by irrigators and local communities. This paper provides the first examination of the social acceptability of environmental water in Australia with a case study of Gunbower Island on the Murray River using a survey of local stakeholders. Most respondents visited Gunbower Island regularly, placed a high value on the island and were committed to maintaining the health of the island. Nevertheless, respondents were more likely to exhibit unfavourable judgements about environmental water. Positive judgements were associated with pro-environmental values, belief in the benefits of environmental water and higher levels of trust in the managing agency. Findings provide insights about how the key agency can improve the social acceptability of environmental water in Gunbower Island, including a greater focus on on-ground work as an opportunity to engage local people in learning and action.

scholarly journals 'It's not just about fish': Assessing the social impacts of marine protected areas on the wellbeing of coastal communities in New South Wales

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244605
Author(s):  
Natalie Gollan ◽  
Kate Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
New South ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Social Acceptability ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Social

Managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is about managing human behaviours, but decision-making processes have traditionally focussed on ecological aspects, treating social aspects as secondary. It is now becoming more evident that an equal focus on the ecological and social aspects is required. Without the collection of information about social aspect such as impacts and sharing this as well as ecological information with communities, MPAs are at higher risk of opposition and social acceptability problems. This paper explores the development of a wellbeing framework to understand the social aspects, including the impacts of MPAs on the wellbeing of local communities. This research investigates two case study MPAs: Cape Byron and Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Parks in New South Wales, Australia. The MPAs are multiple-use and were implemented in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The research began with a review of the literature, followed by fieldwork, including semi-structured qualitative interviews with community members. Through thematic coding of the interview transcripts in light of the literature on assessing the social impacts of MPAs, a community wellbeing framework of domains and associated attributes was developed to investigate social impacts. Our analysis shows; first, local perspectives are crucial to understanding social impacts. Second, understanding social impacts gives insight into the nature of trade-offs that occur in decision-making regarding MPAs. Third, the intangible social impacts experienced by local communities are just as significant as the tangible ones for understanding how MPAs operate. Fourth, governance impacts have been the most influential factor affecting the social acceptability of the case study parks. We argue that failure to address negative social impacts can undermine the legitimacy of MPAs. We propose that the framework will support policymakers to work towards more effective, equitable and socially sustainable MPAs by employing much-needed monitoring of human dimensions of conservation interventions at the community level to shape adaptive management.

Measuring the Social Acceptability of Participants for Two Manure Spreading Techniques, With and Without an Information Session: A Case Study

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Belzile ◽  
Stéphane P Lemay ◽  
Ariane Veillette ◽  
Stéphane Godbout ◽  
John Feddes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Acceptability ◽  
Information Session ◽  
The Social

scholarly journals Economic aspects of phytoremediation

2007 ◽  
pp. 239-249
Author(s):  
T. Thewys
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Social Acceptability ◽  
Labor Income ◽  
Economic Aspects ◽  
Total Revenue ◽  
Present Value ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Long Period ◽  
The Social

The replacement of a traditional crop in favor of a phytoremediating culture is not a neutraloperation, The social acceptability of introducing a phytoremediating crop depends on thecondition that the net present value of the gross labor income (the total revenue diminished bythe non-labor variable costs) earned on the area to be cleaned up and calculated over asufficient long period, is at least not decreased. The case study considered applies to a largearea cross bordering the eastern part of Flanders and the Netherlands characterized withdiffuse heavy metal pollution. The reclamation activity aims at removing 2,5 kg to 5,4 kgcadmium/ha, As a social acceptable, but weak phytoremediation scenario, the yearlycultivation scheme for a 'modal' farn1er starts with 14 ha of rape (in 4 year rotation); 4 ha ofwillow (with harvest every 4th year) and 18 ha of roughage. The resulting median net presentvalue (NPV) over a period of 40 years of the gross labor income is nearly the same as theNPV of continuing the current land occupation (the benchmark), that is 36 ha only forroughage. However, taking into account the uncertainty of the assumed values for importantparameters, the probability of obtaining a lower value for the NPV than currently is, is 62%.We also note that after 40 years only 22 % of the surface is satisfying the remediation target.Increasing the ratio of willow versus rape to 14 ha/4 ha results in the sanitation of the total 36ha after 32 years (willow has a higher uptake performance than rape). On top of this, themedian value for the NPV is now 5 % larger than the benchmark due to the expected largerlabor income on the 'cleaned' hectares. In this scenario the probability of obtaining a lowervalue for the NPY than currently is only 15%.

scholarly journals Reducing inequalities in child health: a case study in an English local authority

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Fairbrother ◽  
E Holding ◽  
K Powell ◽  
N Griffin ◽  
J Wistow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Improve Child Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Context Specific

Abstract Background Many health outcomes for children and young people in England, UK remain poor compared to international peers, with persistent inequalities across the country. Our study sought to understand, from the perspectives of local stakeholders, the key factors affecting the development and implementation of policy to improve child health and reduce inequalities. Methods We carried out a detailed case study in an English local authority area. Our fieldwork comprised: documentary review of local policies, observation of key strategic and operational meetings and semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders. We followed Jessop's (2016) approach in using specific policy areas and policies (mental health, obesity and the early years) as 'entry points' to understand the local context. Results First, and most importantly, there was an overriding consensus that local action to reduce inequalities in child health is hampered by a persistent unequal distribution of the social determinants of health. Second, local stakeholders highlighted the damaging impact of austerity measures and poverty in the UK, which, they argued, had impacted most upon the most vulnerable. Third, while national policies often provided a framework and incentive for local action, there was an emphasis on the importance of local knowledge and place-based approaches, developed through close work with communities. Conclusions Our study highlights the need for progressive policies to begin to reduce the uneven distribution of the social determinants of health to enable local stakeholders to make progress in tackling inequalities in child health. It emphasises the futility of funding national policies to improve child health and reduce inequalities in the context of greatly reduced budgets for local authorities. National policy should also facilitate the mobilisation of context specific knowledge, produced in conjunction with community members. Key messages Our work evidences the pressing need to address structural inequalities and adequately resource and facilitate work to reduce inequalities at a local level. National policy should facilitate the mobilisation of context specific knowledge, produced in conjunction with community members.

Designing robust water planning institutions in remote regions: a case of Georgina and Diamantina catchment in Australia

Water Policy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silva Larson
Keyword(s):  
Planning Process ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Ecological Environment ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Water Planning ◽  
The Social ◽  
West Part ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Water Reform

Several catchment-based water planning processes are currently underway in Australia, with the Water Reform Agreement of 1994 providing the legislative umbrella. This paper presents the results of a case study conducted in the joint catchment of the Diamantina and Georgina rivers, located in the remote central-west part of the state of Queensland. The paper investigates the new water planning processes from the perspective of the design principles for the robust institutions, while taking into account the specifics of the social and ecological environment they will need to operate in. The analysis uses both the actual plans as well as stakeholders' perceptions of the planning process. The analysis found that four of the design principles for robust institutions: clearly defined boundaries, collective choice arrangements, gradual sanctioning and nested enterprises; were well covered in the planning process. However, the principles of: equivalence between costs and benefits; conflict resolution mechanisms; recognition of right to organise; and monitoring; were not clearly or sufficiently addressed in the Plans and have resulted in significant concerns by stakeholders interviewed. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for other water planning processes located in remote and desert regions in general.

Social Design for Services Framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie SARANTOU ◽  
Satu MIETTINEN
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Group ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Social Design ◽  
Practical Action ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World

This paper addresses the fields of social and service design in development contexts, practice-based and constructive design research. A framework for social design for services will be explored through the survey of existing literature, specifically by drawing on eight doctoral theses that were produced by the World Design research group. The work of World Design researcher-designers was guided by a strong ethos of social and service design for development in marginalised communities. The paper also draws on a case study in Namibia and South Africa titled ‘My Dream World’. This case study presents a good example of how the social design for services framework functions in practice during experimentation and research in the field. The social design for services framework transfers the World Design group’s research results into practical action, providing a tool for the facilitation of design and research processes for sustainable development in marginal contexts.

Lord Dacre and the Politics of the Scottish Enlightenment

2005 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Kidd
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Scottish Enlightenment ◽  
North East ◽  
The Social ◽  
Romantic Movement ◽  
Scottish History

Hugh Trevor-Roper (Lord Dacre) made several iconoclastic interventions in the field of Scottish history. These earned him a notoriety in Scottish circles which, while not undeserved, has led to the reductive dismissal of Trevor-Roper's ideas, particularly his controversial interpretation of the Scottish Enlightenment, as the product of Scotophobia. In their indignation Scottish historians have missed the wider issues which prompted Trevor-Roper's investigation of the Scottish Enlightenment as a fascinating case study in European cultural history. Notably, Trevor-Roper used the example of Scotland to challenge Weberian-inspired notions of Puritan progressivism, arguing instead that the Arminian culture of north-east Scotland had played a disproportionate role in the rise of the Scottish Enlightenment. Indeed, working on the assumption that the essence of Enlightenment was its assault on clerical bigotry, Trevor-Roper sought the roots of the Scottish Enlightenment in Jacobitism, the counter-cultural alternative to post-1690 Scotland's Calvinist Kirk establishment. Though easily misconstrued as a dogmatic conservative, Trevor-Roper flirted with Marxisant sociology, not least in his account of the social underpinnings of the Scottish Enlightenment. Trevor-Roper argued that it was the rapidity of eighteenth-century Scotland's social and economic transformation which had produced in one generation a remarkable body of political economy conceptualising social change, and in the next a romantic movement whose powers of nostalgic enchantment were felt across the breadth of Europe.

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