A pragmatic view of knowledge and boundaries in water management practices: recommendations for the governance of European Waters

Transcription

1 A pragmatic view of knowledge and boundaries in water management practices: recommendations for the governance of European Waters Chiara Farné Fratini World Water Forum 2015 Regional Process Copenhagen, February 3 rd, 2015 Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transition

2 The context of water efficiency Climate change Environmental degradation Resources scarcity Uncertainties of the future Infrastructures aging Economic downturn Maintaining high living standards 2

3 Water governance responses Water quality requirements (EU directives) Climate change adaptation strategies LAR (Local handling of rainwater) Increasing infrastructure capacity Economic efficiency Liberalization of utilities Devolution of regional responsibilities Green Innovation Livability (local) Efficiency/green tec (national) 3

4 The transition of water management practices Modernization and public hygene Engineers Physicians 1860s Piped system: water distribution social needs End of pipe Environmental management Ecological Engineers Biologists Env. Scientists Standards: water management environmental protection energy savings human health Optimazation Climate Change and Sustainability Holistic Engineers Biologists Env. Scientists Hydrologists Planners Citizens Integrated Planning: landuse? planning water governance ecosystem services energy neutrality social innovation?..? Neoliberal Engineers Economists Costumers t 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s today

5 Holistic planning

6 Water as mediator for liveability 6

7 Redefining water management buondaries System optimazation Holistic planning Water Invisible Visible Political priorities Cost and safety Societal Values (diversified purposes) Description of water infrastructure Discrete below ground Cross sectorial, integrating above and below ground components Management approach Deterministic and centralized Experimental and partly decentralized Rainwater handling Rainwater as wastewater Rainwater as a resource Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transitions 7

8 A mindset shift in water management practices the major innovation has been that we have realized that we are really key players in urban development, which we never thought before! We just thought, ok somebody else will make the city and then they asked us to supply water. But now we know that we are very indispensable player in making cities (Former Head of Innovation of HOFOR, 2013) Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transitions 8

9 The Liveability enactment of water Optimazation Liveability Recreative Spaces Holistic Users Urban greening Housing Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transitions 9

10 Effects of market basedregulations The piped water infrastructure is enacted as a discrete functional object of economic optimization Holistic Optimazation Liveability Sectorialization Neoliberal Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transitions 10

11 Result of boundary work activities Place making water Sectorialized water Mediating role of water Urban renewal Economic efficiency Governance approach Cross sectorial above ground integration Optimization of discrete piped infrastructure Political priority Value creation Cost optimization Caracterization of the engineer Heterogeneous engineers Professionalized engineers Innovation goals Nurturing local identities Supporting international export of water solutions Innovation trajectory Innovation of place Innovation of functions 11

12 Conflicting innovation models? Innovation of Place Vision: Attractive spaces: A place for everyone Dynamism/diversity Informal collaborative routines Heterogeneous engineer Aims: Environmental protection Social innovation Urban liveability Innovation of Function Vision: Sectorialization: not politically involved with other political area Market opportunities System optimization Specialized engineer Aims: Economic efficiency Green growth International visibility Export of professional expertises 12

13 The water system as a complex adaptive system Characterized by self organization: Multiple outcomes are possible Diversity and individuality of components Localized interactions among components Autonomous process for selction and enhancement Establishing a persistent template of subsidiary factors or variables Sustainability depends on the balance between exploration and exploitation dynamics: Exploration: search, variation, risk taking, experimentation, flexibility, discover, innovation, learning Exploitation: refinement, chioce, production, efficiency, selection, implementation, execution 13

14 Governance implications Holistic performativity assessment diversity of tools Keep the system open: Explore interactions with other systems energy, food etc. Involve a large variety of actors Create mechanism of empowerment of vulnerable social groups Create the necessary space for creative thinking Foster experimentations Not only financial incentives but strategic structural adjustments: e.g. pluricentric governance Embrace controvercies, do not avoid them Water is a fundamental boundary object for fostering sustainble societal transtions! Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transitions 14

15 Thank you for your attention! Chiara Farné Fratini 15