Collaborative governance and watershed management in biosphere reserves in Brazil and Canada

Abstract Water management within vulnerable ecosystems managed by multiple jurisdictions can be very complex. This study compares regulatory environments and deconstructs the approaches used for watershed governance and environmental management inside two UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves to identify possible transferability between the two management entities. Three methodological approaches were applied: participatory observation, in-depth interviews of key informants, and document research. We concluded that while there are differences between the regulatory frameworks and localized practices, at a foundational level the goals and desired outcomes relating to environmental protection are not dependent on location, but mainly on the integration and the establishment of common objectives among the diverse social actors involved in the management and from the interaction between different organisms of social control. Additionally, there are elements in the application of regulations and practices in both locales that could be transferred to other jurisdictions interested in addressing watershed protection in vulnerable ecosystems governed by multiple jurisdictions.

摘要 由多管辖权主体共同管理的脆弱生态系统，其水资源治理工作往往极具复杂性。本研究对比了两处联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）生物圈保护区内的监管环境，拆解了二者在流域治理与环境管理方面所采用的路径，旨在探究两种管理主体间的可迁移性潜力。本研究采用了三类研究方法：参与式观察法、关键知情人深度访谈法与文献研究法。研究结论显示，尽管两地的监管框架与本土化实践存在差异，但从根本层面而言，与环境保护相关的目标与预期成果并不受地域限制，其核心取决于参与管理的多元社会行动者之间的整合协作与共同目标确立，以及不同社会管控主体间的互动协同。此外，两地在监管规则与实践应用中存在若干可迁移要素，可被其他致力于在多管辖权管理的脆弱生态系统内开展流域保护工作的辖区借鉴参考。