A new special feature in Ecology & Society focuses on the intersection of law, governance, and ecological resilience. Practicing Panarchy: Assessing Legal Flexibility, Ecological Resilience, and Adaptive Governance in U.S. Resilience Water Systems Experiencing Climate Change is edited by Brian Chaffin, Lance Gunderson, and Barbara Cosens.
The special feature articles focus on six watersheds in the United States (Anacostia River, Central Platte River, Klamath River, Columbia River, Middle Rio Grand River, and the Everglades wetlands) and assesses their capacity to adapt and respond to rapid environmental change. In all six cases the river systems involve complex governance systems and historical legacies that influence their capacity to cope with climate change and other stresses. By exploring these cases through a legal lens, the articles help advance our understanding of the role of law and governance in processes of adaptation and transformation. An introduction to the special feature sets the context and lays the foundation for a novel interdisciplinary approach to understanding complex, cross-scale interactions in large watershed systems.
Reference (Introduction to the Special Feature):
Cosens, B. A., L. Gunderson, and B. C. Chaffin. 2018. Introduction to the Special Feature Practicing Panarchy: Assessing legal flexibility, ecological resilience, and adaptive governance in regional water systems experiencing rapid environmental change. Ecology and Society 23(1):4.
https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09524-230104
Link to the Special Feature table of contents:
https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/issues/view.php?sf=122
Keywords: Panarchy, Law, Legal, Governance, Rivers, U.S.
