Workshops exploring environmental, social, and political scenarios to prepare for negotiating new... more Workshops exploring environmental, social, and political scenarios to prepare for negotiating new Colorado River water management guidelines took on added realism when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Urban resilience emerges not only from 'what' is done in relation to critical infrastructure syst... more Urban resilience emerges not only from 'what' is done in relation to critical infrastructure systems, but in the 'how' of their conception, co-creation and integration into complex socio-ecological-technical systems. For green infrastructure, where ownership and agency may be distributed amongst organisations and diverse communities, inclusiveness and appropriateness require embedding in engineering assessments of green infrastructure and resilience. Through consideration of past, present and future engineering and resilience assessmentsfrom monetising, through greening, to humanisingthis paper examines the ways in which GI may be or has already contributed to enhancing urban resilience and types of assessment and indicators that have been or could be used. We suggest that enhancing visibility of the 'whos' (individuals, communities) is crucial to fully diversifying assessments. We also suggest some ideas for additional indicators and assert that co-production of future indicators needs to be undertaken with appropriate professionals (e.g. social impact assessment professionals).
Preface. 1. In Search of the Post-Cold War World Order: Questions, Issues, and Perspectives (Thom... more Preface. 1. In Search of the Post-Cold War World Order: Questions, Issues, and Perspectives (Thomas J. Volgy, Zlatko Sabic, Petra Roter, Elizabeth Fausett, and Stuart Rodgers). 2. Mapping the Architecture of the New World Order: Continuity and Change in the Constellation of Post-Cold War Formal Intergovernmental Organizations (Thomas J. Volgy, Keith A. Grant, Elizabeth Fausett, and Stuart Rodgers). 3. Accounting for the New World Order of FIGO Architecture and Its Effectiveness (Keith A. Grant, Thomas J. Volgy, Elizabeth Fausett, and Stuart Rodgers). 4. Intergovernmental Organizations and Interstate Conflict: Parsing Out IGO Effects for Conflict in Post-Communist Space (Elizabeth Fausett and Thomas J. Volgy). 5. The Correlates of Cooperative Institutions for International Rivers (Andrea K. Gerlak and Keith A. Grant). 6. Substituting for Democratization: A Comparative A nalysis of Involvement in Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (Stuart Rogers and Thomas J. Volgy). 7. State Su...
The concept of the human right to water and sanitation (HRtWS) has received increasing attention ... more The concept of the human right to water and sanitation (HRtWS) has received increasing attention at the policy level in the form of national constitutional guarantees and UN actions, in the work of development organizations, NGOs, network actors and private sector actors. In this article, we explore how the discourse on the HRtWS from key actors in global water governance has evolved over time. Understanding the various discourses around the HRtWS can provide insights into how the HRtWS fits within larger governance trends, including development strategies and practices. We find that despite initial resistance to human rights framing among many of the actors involved in global water governance, there is a convergence on the existence of the HRtWS. Yet, contestation among actors increasingly focuses on what the right means in practice and how to implement a rights-based approach to water services. This contestation is particularly visible around what a legal HRtWS means for questions...
In this extended issue of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, we are pleased to inc... more In this extended issue of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, we are pleased to include a special section on disproportionality in climate change policy, consisting of four articles, as well as 12 regular articles. The special section ‘Governing climate change: The (dis)proportionality of policy responses’, guest-edited by Jale Tosun, Andrew Jordan and Moshe Maor, engages with the growing scholarship on patterns of sustained policy over-reactions or over-investments – also known as policy bubbles. This literature builds on the punctuated equilibrium theory, which theorizes policy change as infrequent disruptions of routine policy characterized by incremental policy adjustments, in emphasizing the importance of new policy ideas more generally. Sustained under-reactions have been acknowledged as another form of disproportionate policy response. The main aim of the special section is to refine the theoretical concepts of policy overand under-reaction and apply them – for ...
Scenario planning (SP) has been increasingly utilized by water managers and planners in the 21st ... more Scenario planning (SP) has been increasingly utilized by water managers and planners in the 21st century as climate and other uncertainties have challenged traditional planning approaches. This paper discusses the potential for scenario planning processes in the Colorado River Basin in the southwestern United States to build collective understanding of compound and cascading risks, and to identify possible solutions at multiple scales. Under the Colorado River Conversations Project, we convened a series of conferences and scenario planning workshops over the past 3 years to explore the potential to enhance the use of social and physical sciences in river management, and to broaden the community of people and entities engaged in discussions about managing the Colorado River. Working with a group of thirty water managers and other interested parties representing all 7 basin states, several Tribes, NGO's and Mexico, we used a participatory, mixed-methods approach to scenario planning that identified multiple drivers of change and developed eight science-based storylines from the intersection of these drivers. The development of the storylines and the subsequent conversations with participants about impacts and solutions resulted in a framework for understanding low probability-high consequence climate and other risks across the Colorado River Basin. We highlight three lessons that speak to the value and role of SP for fostering collaboration and creativity. These lessons include: (1) the importance of process in SP in fostering deliberate community building across sectors and geographies; (2) identifying challenges with engaging with uncertainty, complexity, and risk; and (3) determining what these findings mean for future SP in the Colorado River Basin and beyond.
Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 2016
In the face of energy security and climate change, and with technological advances, many industri... more In the face of energy security and climate change, and with technological advances, many industrial countries have embraced the transition to a bioeconomy – an economy based on energy, chemicals and materials obtained from biomass. However, the policy and academic discourses on a bioeconomy transition suggest growing controversy around its social, environmental and ethical impacts. In this article, we apply an epistemic forms framework to better understand the scope and extent of the bioeconomy debate. We find that industry and governments take a narrow approach to a bioeconomy and tend to view it exclusively as a technical concept. We argue that the discursive and practical dimensions of the transition would shed light on the issues of what type of a bioeconomy to strive for, through which procedures and with what impacts for diverse stakeholders. We conclude with a set of recommendations related to a bioeconomy transition.
Greenspace can alleviate many of the negative effects of urbanization and help enhance human well... more Greenspace can alleviate many of the negative effects of urbanization and help enhance human well-being yet, in most cities in the world, greenspace is inequitably distributed. In western societies, wealthy white neighborhoods typically have more access to greenspace, constituting an environmental and social justice issue. Although scholars from multiple disciplines and academic domains study questions of justice in greenspace, the scholarship remains fragmented. The purpose of this qualitative review is to explore the diverse disciplinary approaches to justice in urban greenspace to identify patterns and trends in how justice is conceptualized and realized. We analyze a set of case studies across multiple disciplines using a sample of 21 peer-reviewed articles following the framework set out by Bulkeley and colleagues that conceptualizes justice according to recognition, distribution, procedures, rights, and responsibilities. Our results suggest that the various solutions proposed ...
Groundwater is increasingly important for meeting water demand across the United States (U.S.). F... more Groundwater is increasingly important for meeting water demand across the United States (U.S.). Forward thinking governance and effective management are necessary for its sustainable use. In the U.S., state governments are primarily responsible for groundwater governance (i.e., making laws, policies, and regulations) and management (i.e., implementation of laws, policies, and regulations). This decentralized system results in diverse strategies and practices. We surveyed a water quality professional from each state to better understand commonalities and differences across states. These professionals identify a wide assortment of groundwater issues and concerns, including quality and quantity impairment, staffing and budget issues, private well vulnerability, and overdraft. Respondents indicate contamination problems from natural and anthropogenic sources. Most respondents report that their states have significantly changed groundwater quality policy during the past 30 years. While most states have multiple funding sources for water quality programs, program budgets have decreased in the last decade, thereby hindering effective implementation of new policies. Over half of respondents indicate that water-quality/water-level monitoring and increased groundwater pumping will require more attention over the next decade. Several respondents anticipate groundwater regulation changes in the next five years. We discuss how our findings align with current groundwater uses in the U.S.
The Earth System Governance project is a global research alliance that explores novel, effective ... more The Earth System Governance project is a global research alliance that explores novel, effective governance mechanisms to cope with the current transitions in the biogeochemical systems of the planet. A decade after its inception, this article offers an overview of the project's new research framework
The political economy of dam development in South America is changing as a result of a resurgence... more The political economy of dam development in South America is changing as a result of a resurgence in water infrastructure investments. The arrival of Chinese funded projects in the region has altered a context traditionally dominated by multilateral development banks. Tensions are escalating around new dam projects and the environmental impact assessment process is increasingly the site of politicization around water in the region. In this Perspective, we examine the most recent surge in dam development in South America, the resulting environmental and social impacts, and the mobilization of civil society and environmental groups that have developed in response to these projects. In the absence of regionally-shared standards for environmental assessment and regional mechanisms to mitigate the emerging conflicts-primarily occurring between companies, states, and civil society-we argue there is a risk of a race to the bottom to finance infrastructure projects with laxer environmental and social standards.
In many regions around the world, Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) provide seasonal climat... more In many regions around the world, Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) provide seasonal climate information and forecasts to decision-makers at regional and national levels. Despite having two decades of experience, the forums have not been systematically monitored or evaluated. To address this gap, and to better inform nascent and widespread efforts in climate services, the authors propose a process-oriented evaluation framework derived from literature on decision support and climate communication around the production and use of scientific information. The authors apply this framework to a case study of the Caribbean RCOF (CariCOF), where they have been engaged in a collaborative effort to integrate climate information and decision processes to enhance regional climate resilience. The authors’ examination of the CariCOF shows an evolution toward the use of more advanced and more diverse climate products, as well as greater awareness of user feedback. It also reveals shortfalls ...
The Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework serves as a valuable framework to explore and under... more The Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework serves as a valuable framework to explore and understand social and ecological interactions, and pathways in water governance. Yet, it lacks a robust understanding of change. We argue an analytical and methodological approach to engaging global changes in SES is critical to strengthening the scope and relevance of the SES framework. Relying on SES and resilience thinking, we propose an institutional and cognitive model of change that institutions and natural resources systems co-evolve to provide a dynamic understanding of SES that stands on three causal mechanisms: institutional complexity trap, rigidity trap, and learning processes. We illustrate how Data Cube technology could overcome current limitations and offer reliable avenues to test hypothesis about the dynamics of social-ecological systems and water security by offering to combine spatial and time data with no major technical requirements for users.
The crucial role of groundwater and the centrality of water governance in accommodating growing w... more The crucial role of groundwater and the centrality of water governance in accommodating growing water demands sustainably are becoming well recognized. We review 10 case studies of groundwater governance-representing diverse global regions and local contexts-from the perspective of four well-established elements: (1) institutional setting; (2) availability and access to information and science; (3) robustness of civil society; and (4) economic and regulatory frameworks. For institutional setting, we find that governing is often a thankless task that paradoxically requires popularity; legislation does not always translate to implementation; conflict resolution is central to governance; and funding is critical for governance. In terms of information access, we see: a need for research for natural systems, social systems, and institutions; trust as an essential element in research; and that urbanized landscapes are critical components of groundwater governance. Looking at civil society robustness, we observe that equity is an essential element for governance; community-based governance requires intention; and leaders can play a powerful role in uniting stakeholders. As for frameworks, the cases suggest that economic incentives sometimes yield unintended results; "indirect" management should be used cautiously; and economic incentives' effectiveness depends on the system employed. Collectively, the lessons speak to the need for shared governance capacities on the part of governments at multiple levels and civil society actors.
Across the globe, wildfires are increasing in frequency and magnitude under a warming climate, im... more Across the globe, wildfires are increasing in frequency and magnitude under a warming climate, impacting natural resources, infrastructure, and millions of people every year. At the same time, human encroachment into fire-prone areas has increased the potential for ignition, as well as risks and damages to human communities. In an era of intensifying human activities on Earth-the-Anthropocene‖-societal interactions with post-fire landscapes are becoming commonplace. Yet, theories regarding post-fire impacts derived from individual disciplines no longer apply in cases where human interactions are intense. A holistic approach that accounts for interactions between natural and human systems is necessary to understand the altered dynamics of post-fire landscapes. Focusing on the intersection of fire, water, and society, this paper explores an integrative research framework to couple post-fire fluvial and human processes. We review trends in wildfires and growing impacts on humans, how fluvial processes and systems are altered by wildfires, and the potential hazards for human settlements. This review forms a basis for integrating societal concerns, such as vulnerability, economic impacts, and management responses. We then link disciplinary questions into broad interdisciplinary research through an integrative framework. The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire (Colorado, USA) provides an illustrative case with intense human interactions, both during and after the fire, to formulate critical questions within the integrative framework. Utilizing emergent integrative conceptual frameworks and tools will assist scholars in meeting the challenges and opportunities for broad collaboration, which are necessary to understand and confront wildfires characteristic of the-Anthropocene.‖
Workshops exploring environmental, social, and political scenarios to prepare for negotiating new... more Workshops exploring environmental, social, and political scenarios to prepare for negotiating new Colorado River water management guidelines took on added realism when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Urban resilience emerges not only from 'what' is done in relation to critical infrastructure syst... more Urban resilience emerges not only from 'what' is done in relation to critical infrastructure systems, but in the 'how' of their conception, co-creation and integration into complex socio-ecological-technical systems. For green infrastructure, where ownership and agency may be distributed amongst organisations and diverse communities, inclusiveness and appropriateness require embedding in engineering assessments of green infrastructure and resilience. Through consideration of past, present and future engineering and resilience assessmentsfrom monetising, through greening, to humanisingthis paper examines the ways in which GI may be or has already contributed to enhancing urban resilience and types of assessment and indicators that have been or could be used. We suggest that enhancing visibility of the 'whos' (individuals, communities) is crucial to fully diversifying assessments. We also suggest some ideas for additional indicators and assert that co-production of future indicators needs to be undertaken with appropriate professionals (e.g. social impact assessment professionals).
Preface. 1. In Search of the Post-Cold War World Order: Questions, Issues, and Perspectives (Thom... more Preface. 1. In Search of the Post-Cold War World Order: Questions, Issues, and Perspectives (Thomas J. Volgy, Zlatko Sabic, Petra Roter, Elizabeth Fausett, and Stuart Rodgers). 2. Mapping the Architecture of the New World Order: Continuity and Change in the Constellation of Post-Cold War Formal Intergovernmental Organizations (Thomas J. Volgy, Keith A. Grant, Elizabeth Fausett, and Stuart Rodgers). 3. Accounting for the New World Order of FIGO Architecture and Its Effectiveness (Keith A. Grant, Thomas J. Volgy, Elizabeth Fausett, and Stuart Rodgers). 4. Intergovernmental Organizations and Interstate Conflict: Parsing Out IGO Effects for Conflict in Post-Communist Space (Elizabeth Fausett and Thomas J. Volgy). 5. The Correlates of Cooperative Institutions for International Rivers (Andrea K. Gerlak and Keith A. Grant). 6. Substituting for Democratization: A Comparative A nalysis of Involvement in Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (Stuart Rogers and Thomas J. Volgy). 7. State Su...
The concept of the human right to water and sanitation (HRtWS) has received increasing attention ... more The concept of the human right to water and sanitation (HRtWS) has received increasing attention at the policy level in the form of national constitutional guarantees and UN actions, in the work of development organizations, NGOs, network actors and private sector actors. In this article, we explore how the discourse on the HRtWS from key actors in global water governance has evolved over time. Understanding the various discourses around the HRtWS can provide insights into how the HRtWS fits within larger governance trends, including development strategies and practices. We find that despite initial resistance to human rights framing among many of the actors involved in global water governance, there is a convergence on the existence of the HRtWS. Yet, contestation among actors increasingly focuses on what the right means in practice and how to implement a rights-based approach to water services. This contestation is particularly visible around what a legal HRtWS means for questions...
In this extended issue of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, we are pleased to inc... more In this extended issue of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, we are pleased to include a special section on disproportionality in climate change policy, consisting of four articles, as well as 12 regular articles. The special section ‘Governing climate change: The (dis)proportionality of policy responses’, guest-edited by Jale Tosun, Andrew Jordan and Moshe Maor, engages with the growing scholarship on patterns of sustained policy over-reactions or over-investments – also known as policy bubbles. This literature builds on the punctuated equilibrium theory, which theorizes policy change as infrequent disruptions of routine policy characterized by incremental policy adjustments, in emphasizing the importance of new policy ideas more generally. Sustained under-reactions have been acknowledged as another form of disproportionate policy response. The main aim of the special section is to refine the theoretical concepts of policy overand under-reaction and apply them – for ...
Scenario planning (SP) has been increasingly utilized by water managers and planners in the 21st ... more Scenario planning (SP) has been increasingly utilized by water managers and planners in the 21st century as climate and other uncertainties have challenged traditional planning approaches. This paper discusses the potential for scenario planning processes in the Colorado River Basin in the southwestern United States to build collective understanding of compound and cascading risks, and to identify possible solutions at multiple scales. Under the Colorado River Conversations Project, we convened a series of conferences and scenario planning workshops over the past 3 years to explore the potential to enhance the use of social and physical sciences in river management, and to broaden the community of people and entities engaged in discussions about managing the Colorado River. Working with a group of thirty water managers and other interested parties representing all 7 basin states, several Tribes, NGO's and Mexico, we used a participatory, mixed-methods approach to scenario planning that identified multiple drivers of change and developed eight science-based storylines from the intersection of these drivers. The development of the storylines and the subsequent conversations with participants about impacts and solutions resulted in a framework for understanding low probability-high consequence climate and other risks across the Colorado River Basin. We highlight three lessons that speak to the value and role of SP for fostering collaboration and creativity. These lessons include: (1) the importance of process in SP in fostering deliberate community building across sectors and geographies; (2) identifying challenges with engaging with uncertainty, complexity, and risk; and (3) determining what these findings mean for future SP in the Colorado River Basin and beyond.
Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 2016
In the face of energy security and climate change, and with technological advances, many industri... more In the face of energy security and climate change, and with technological advances, many industrial countries have embraced the transition to a bioeconomy – an economy based on energy, chemicals and materials obtained from biomass. However, the policy and academic discourses on a bioeconomy transition suggest growing controversy around its social, environmental and ethical impacts. In this article, we apply an epistemic forms framework to better understand the scope and extent of the bioeconomy debate. We find that industry and governments take a narrow approach to a bioeconomy and tend to view it exclusively as a technical concept. We argue that the discursive and practical dimensions of the transition would shed light on the issues of what type of a bioeconomy to strive for, through which procedures and with what impacts for diverse stakeholders. We conclude with a set of recommendations related to a bioeconomy transition.
Greenspace can alleviate many of the negative effects of urbanization and help enhance human well... more Greenspace can alleviate many of the negative effects of urbanization and help enhance human well-being yet, in most cities in the world, greenspace is inequitably distributed. In western societies, wealthy white neighborhoods typically have more access to greenspace, constituting an environmental and social justice issue. Although scholars from multiple disciplines and academic domains study questions of justice in greenspace, the scholarship remains fragmented. The purpose of this qualitative review is to explore the diverse disciplinary approaches to justice in urban greenspace to identify patterns and trends in how justice is conceptualized and realized. We analyze a set of case studies across multiple disciplines using a sample of 21 peer-reviewed articles following the framework set out by Bulkeley and colleagues that conceptualizes justice according to recognition, distribution, procedures, rights, and responsibilities. Our results suggest that the various solutions proposed ...
Groundwater is increasingly important for meeting water demand across the United States (U.S.). F... more Groundwater is increasingly important for meeting water demand across the United States (U.S.). Forward thinking governance and effective management are necessary for its sustainable use. In the U.S., state governments are primarily responsible for groundwater governance (i.e., making laws, policies, and regulations) and management (i.e., implementation of laws, policies, and regulations). This decentralized system results in diverse strategies and practices. We surveyed a water quality professional from each state to better understand commonalities and differences across states. These professionals identify a wide assortment of groundwater issues and concerns, including quality and quantity impairment, staffing and budget issues, private well vulnerability, and overdraft. Respondents indicate contamination problems from natural and anthropogenic sources. Most respondents report that their states have significantly changed groundwater quality policy during the past 30 years. While most states have multiple funding sources for water quality programs, program budgets have decreased in the last decade, thereby hindering effective implementation of new policies. Over half of respondents indicate that water-quality/water-level monitoring and increased groundwater pumping will require more attention over the next decade. Several respondents anticipate groundwater regulation changes in the next five years. We discuss how our findings align with current groundwater uses in the U.S.
The Earth System Governance project is a global research alliance that explores novel, effective ... more The Earth System Governance project is a global research alliance that explores novel, effective governance mechanisms to cope with the current transitions in the biogeochemical systems of the planet. A decade after its inception, this article offers an overview of the project's new research framework
The political economy of dam development in South America is changing as a result of a resurgence... more The political economy of dam development in South America is changing as a result of a resurgence in water infrastructure investments. The arrival of Chinese funded projects in the region has altered a context traditionally dominated by multilateral development banks. Tensions are escalating around new dam projects and the environmental impact assessment process is increasingly the site of politicization around water in the region. In this Perspective, we examine the most recent surge in dam development in South America, the resulting environmental and social impacts, and the mobilization of civil society and environmental groups that have developed in response to these projects. In the absence of regionally-shared standards for environmental assessment and regional mechanisms to mitigate the emerging conflicts-primarily occurring between companies, states, and civil society-we argue there is a risk of a race to the bottom to finance infrastructure projects with laxer environmental and social standards.
In many regions around the world, Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) provide seasonal climat... more In many regions around the world, Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) provide seasonal climate information and forecasts to decision-makers at regional and national levels. Despite having two decades of experience, the forums have not been systematically monitored or evaluated. To address this gap, and to better inform nascent and widespread efforts in climate services, the authors propose a process-oriented evaluation framework derived from literature on decision support and climate communication around the production and use of scientific information. The authors apply this framework to a case study of the Caribbean RCOF (CariCOF), where they have been engaged in a collaborative effort to integrate climate information and decision processes to enhance regional climate resilience. The authors’ examination of the CariCOF shows an evolution toward the use of more advanced and more diverse climate products, as well as greater awareness of user feedback. It also reveals shortfalls ...
The Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework serves as a valuable framework to explore and under... more The Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework serves as a valuable framework to explore and understand social and ecological interactions, and pathways in water governance. Yet, it lacks a robust understanding of change. We argue an analytical and methodological approach to engaging global changes in SES is critical to strengthening the scope and relevance of the SES framework. Relying on SES and resilience thinking, we propose an institutional and cognitive model of change that institutions and natural resources systems co-evolve to provide a dynamic understanding of SES that stands on three causal mechanisms: institutional complexity trap, rigidity trap, and learning processes. We illustrate how Data Cube technology could overcome current limitations and offer reliable avenues to test hypothesis about the dynamics of social-ecological systems and water security by offering to combine spatial and time data with no major technical requirements for users.
The crucial role of groundwater and the centrality of water governance in accommodating growing w... more The crucial role of groundwater and the centrality of water governance in accommodating growing water demands sustainably are becoming well recognized. We review 10 case studies of groundwater governance-representing diverse global regions and local contexts-from the perspective of four well-established elements: (1) institutional setting; (2) availability and access to information and science; (3) robustness of civil society; and (4) economic and regulatory frameworks. For institutional setting, we find that governing is often a thankless task that paradoxically requires popularity; legislation does not always translate to implementation; conflict resolution is central to governance; and funding is critical for governance. In terms of information access, we see: a need for research for natural systems, social systems, and institutions; trust as an essential element in research; and that urbanized landscapes are critical components of groundwater governance. Looking at civil society robustness, we observe that equity is an essential element for governance; community-based governance requires intention; and leaders can play a powerful role in uniting stakeholders. As for frameworks, the cases suggest that economic incentives sometimes yield unintended results; "indirect" management should be used cautiously; and economic incentives' effectiveness depends on the system employed. Collectively, the lessons speak to the need for shared governance capacities on the part of governments at multiple levels and civil society actors.
Across the globe, wildfires are increasing in frequency and magnitude under a warming climate, im... more Across the globe, wildfires are increasing in frequency and magnitude under a warming climate, impacting natural resources, infrastructure, and millions of people every year. At the same time, human encroachment into fire-prone areas has increased the potential for ignition, as well as risks and damages to human communities. In an era of intensifying human activities on Earth-the-Anthropocene‖-societal interactions with post-fire landscapes are becoming commonplace. Yet, theories regarding post-fire impacts derived from individual disciplines no longer apply in cases where human interactions are intense. A holistic approach that accounts for interactions between natural and human systems is necessary to understand the altered dynamics of post-fire landscapes. Focusing on the intersection of fire, water, and society, this paper explores an integrative research framework to couple post-fire fluvial and human processes. We review trends in wildfires and growing impacts on humans, how fluvial processes and systems are altered by wildfires, and the potential hazards for human settlements. This review forms a basis for integrating societal concerns, such as vulnerability, economic impacts, and management responses. We then link disciplinary questions into broad interdisciplinary research through an integrative framework. The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire (Colorado, USA) provides an illustrative case with intense human interactions, both during and after the fire, to formulate critical questions within the integrative framework. Utilizing emergent integrative conceptual frameworks and tools will assist scholars in meeting the challenges and opportunities for broad collaboration, which are necessary to understand and confront wildfires characteristic of the-Anthropocene.‖
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Papers by Andrea Gerlak