Focusing Events and Changes in Ecologies of Policy Games: Evidence from the Paraná River Delta

Solving environmental problems on a regional scale demands joint efforts by multiple stakeholders, but coordinating such efforts can be difficult in complex governance systems. In this article, we combine the literature in Adaptive Governance with the Ecology of Policy Games (EPGs) framework to enha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Review of policy research 2015-07, Vol.32 (4), p.443-464
Main Authors: Berardo, Ramiro, Olivier, Tomás, Lavers, Anthony
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adaptive governance
Adaptive systems
Argentina
Conservation
Ecology
Ecology of Policy Games
environment
Environmental degradation
Environmental policy
Games
Governance
Interest groups
Natural environment
Natural resource management
Natural resources
policy
Regional analysis
Resource management
Rivers
Slash and burn
social network analysis
Stakeholders
Sustainability
Systems
water
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Summary:Solving environmental problems on a regional scale demands joint efforts by multiple stakeholders, but coordinating such efforts can be difficult in complex governance systems. In this article, we combine the literature in Adaptive Governance with the Ecology of Policy Games (EPGs) framework to enhance our understanding of how complex governance systems react to environmental focusing events. We study the EPGs in the Paraná River delta in Argentina following widespread fires caused by slash‐and‐burn practices in 2008, and analyze how new forums created to address the consequences of this event differ from the forums created prior to the event in terms of their capacity to attract stakeholders and to provide higher interconnectivity to the whole governance system. Furthermore, we offer an initial evaluation of the Comprehensive Strategic Plan for the Conservation and Sustainability of the Paraná River delta, the main forum in the EPGs created to address the negative consequences of the focusing event. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the study of complex governance systems where stakeholders are able to address the management of natural resources at a regional scale.
ISSN:1541-132X
1541-1338
DOI:10.1111/ropr.12128