Governing Nonpoint Pollution: Human Challenges and Design Opportunities

Transcription

1 Governing Nonpoint Pollution: Human Challenges and Design Opportunities Christopher Koliba, Ph.D. Science Leader, Research on Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC) Professor of Community Development & Public Administration University of Vermont

2 The research discussed in this presentation has been supported through grant funding from the following sources: Grant #: EPS AND The James M. Jeffords Policy Research Center

3 Themes for this talk: We ve come a long way But not far enough: Nonpoint pollution as a wicked problem What are the design considerations moving forward?

4 How far we ve come!!! Video clips 4 & 6

5 But not far enough

6 Timeline of Media Events, Water Quality Policy, Economic & Landuse Trends The Burlington Free Press: 7/7/99 Storm Runoff A Rising Problem BLUE-GREEN ALGAE PROVES DEADLY Free Press 9/8/99: Toxin in Lake Champlain Algae kills two NY dogs ALGAE AND PHOSPHORUS Free Press 2000: Sewage Plant Lacks Permit National Wildlife (World Edition) 2005: A Lake in Distress 400TH ANNIVERSAY CELEBRATION WCAX News Channel : Planning a big Lake Champlain celebration Free Press 2010: EPA to reopen Lake plan VPR 2010: Cable proposed under Lake Champlain SPRING FLOODS News Channel 5 WPTZ 2011: Near-historic toxic algae levels HURRICANE IRENE WCAX 2012: New concerns about what Irene left in its wake VPR 2012: Bluegreen algae: we re swimming in it Free Press 5/29/99 GMP chips in to clean up harbor: projects come in recognition of contamination Free Press 7/8/99: Contamination closes local beaches Free Press 11/5/99: Cumberland Bay scoured of PCBs PCBs DISCOVERED 2000 Washington Post 2004: Lake Champlain loses allure as poisonous algae surface: Vermont now trying to undo years of pollution damage Free Press 2008: EPA scolds state on efforts to clean up Lake Champlain VPR 2009: Aggressive new invasive found in Lake Champlain Lake Champlain in the Media: (Archives, Library Holdings, LEXISNEXUS) Adapted from research done by Shapiro, M (EPSCoR Summer Intern) 2010 Free Press 2010: Lake Champlain movie to debut [Bloom] EPA AND TMDL Free Press 2011: Lake Champlain rising, dangerous VPR 2011: EPA revokes VT s Lake Champlain cleanup plan 2012 WPTZ 2012: Lake Champlain at lowest level in 10 years CONTAMINATION: SEWAGE, STORMWATER WPTZ 2012: New funds to help storm water runoff

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8 Hypothesis: Effective watershed governance networks may induce watershed to a stable state that is valued relatively higher by society and policy makers." In the face of uncertainties about climate change, land use and lake response scenarios, how can adaptive management interventions (e.g. regulation, incentives, treaties) be designed, valued and implemented in the multi-jurisdictional Lake Champlain Basin? EPS

9 Why is non-point pollution so wicked? Non-point sources: Who is responsible for causes? Jurisdictional knot: Who is responsible for addressing the causes? Property rights: How do we balance individual and collective rights? Timelags and legacies: How will remediation efforts work? Uncertainty and our limited planning horizons What do we need to know and when do we need to know it? Compounding effects: How will climate change further drive the problems and the solutions?

10 How was point source water mitigated in the first place? Video clip 3

11 What we have going in our favor

12 We (mostly) know what works Best management practices

13 We know the suite of policy tools at our disposal

14 We have a lot of good people and institutions focused on the problem

15 Interjurisdictional watershed governance in the Lake Champlain Basin Concept Map

16 We have a growing data repository and modeling capacity RACC Land Use Transition ABM Stone Environmental SWAT Stone Environmental SWAT

17 We are becoming clearer about trade-offs (?) Environment Economy Etc. Etc. Clean water Healthy ecosystems Jobs Revenue streams

18 Things not in our favor Do we have the political will? Maybe we aren t that clear about tradeoffs? Do we have sufficient resources? Do we have the right governance design?

19 Using visualization to build situational awareness Situational awareness hinges on a combination of, the, and the application that may only be developed through extensive experience built up over time.

20 Thinking about design considerations in watershed management settings leaders and designers are often one and the same, and that it is important for leaders to recognize that their challenge is that of a designer to determine direction and destination via the design tradition (Nelson and Stolterman, 2012, P.5). Design is a compound of rational, ideal, and pragmatic inquiry. Design is constituted of reflective and critical thinking, productive action, and responsible follow through (Nelson and Stolterman, 2012, P.5). the real, the true & the ideal

21 Designing group interactions.

22 Designing collaboratives Interagency Intergovernmental Inter-sector Hybrid-organizations Community engagement Crowd sourcing Citizen science

23 Designing policy tools

24 Designing policy tools for nonpoint source pollution Management practices (best): Funding (grants & contracts) Technical assistance (public information) Regulation and enforcement Permits & sanctions Incentives: Tradable permits Easements Flood & crop insurance FEMA Benchmarks & backstops (performance measures) Etc.

25 tools can operate in suites (often combining or nesting inside one another)

26 Designing enabling systems: Case management Performance management systems

27 RACC Land Use Transition ABM Stone Environmental SWAT Stone Environmental SWAT

28 Behavioral Mechanisms in LUT ABM

29 Designing governance networks Funding & TMDL Indicators funding State Natural Resources State Ag. permits funding permits Municipalities Tech. Assist. Providers TA; loans; grants building & maintenance Developers (Storm water) TA; loans; grants Water Treatment Plants Farmers building & maintenance TA; loans; grants

30 Designing using scenarios

31 Designing using scenarios

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33 Designing for the long haul Climate change and the long horizon Anticipating the future through scenario development Identify high leverage points in the system Consider how the existing governance arrangements are a help and a hindrance to progress Harness the data at your disposal to address the problems in the highest level of precision as possible Blending the real, the true and the ideal by coupling ecosystem design with social systems design.

34 Thank you!