Implementation has come again to the foreground of discussion on public (water) policy. The UNFCCC (2021) states: “The faster the climate changes, and the longer adaptation efforts are put off, the more difficult and expensive it could be. […] In simple terms, countries and communities need to develop adaptation solutions and implement action to respond to the impacts of climate change that are already happening, as well as prepare for future impacts.” At the same time, “the Sustainable Development Goals call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. [...] Today, progress is being made in many places, but, overall, action to meet the Goals is not yet advancing at the speed or scale required […]” (UN, 2020).
This Research Topic calls for empirical papers that explore the actions undertaken by governments and other statutory bodies to tackle issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, e.g., safe water and sanitation to all) and/or adaptation actions to address impacts of climate change, in terms of policy development and implementation. We are especially interested in:
• Relationship between governance (and its questions on -water- justice, equity, integrity, and voice and empowerment) and policy -implementation- practices;
• Day-to-day operation and co-operation, distribution, monitoring, adaptation, and political decision-making, planning and implementation of water policy; and,
• Implementation of water policy, its outcomes, and the lessons learned for more sustainable and equitable policy futures.
As the nature of water, being vital and fluid, requires public responsibility, accountability, and action, we are also interested in empirical research focusing on public-private partnerships, citizen/private led action, and other forms of co-management of water systems, its consequences, and the lessons drawn from it in relation to sustainable management and development. In this Research Topic, we want to especially welcome studies and authors from the global south.
Policy implementation research has had several revivals over the decades and can be regarded as one of the ancestors of governance. Studies on (water) policy implementation can be found at the intersection of (water) management and governance, public administration, public management, organizational theory, political science, and development studies. General theories of and studies on policy implementation have focused, generally, on domestic issues, with a bias towards the global North. Yet, actions are taking place everywhere and a better understanding of practices in policy and management, especially in the global South, is needed to support our understandings of the complexities of implementing water policy and to support governments and partners in achieving the enormous goals and challenges ahead of us.
Lastly, this Research Topic welcomes original empirical studies (single/multiple comparative case studies relying on interdisciplinary/integrated approaches) aiming to understand policy implementation practices from new perspectives, e.g., what happens in the domain of water policy implementation, why and how, and what can be learned from it. It trickles down to the questions of “what can we learn from the field practice, globally?” and “how do we apply what is learned to contribute to a sustainable and equitable world?”.
Studies relevant under this Research Topic include, but are not limited to:
• Water policy implementation practices and actions in the field/city/river/wetlands/irrigation development and management;
• The role of various types of knowledge (science/evidence based, political ideologies, experiential knowledge, believes, myths, values, and moral) on policy action and inaction in various water sectors (in various regions);
• Policy implementation, dilemmas, and strategies of local governments between state and community, between high ambitions and limited resources, and bricolage and pragmatic approaches to make it function;
• Policy change deriving from observation of practices in implementation, monitoring, and evaluation (teaching communities to change and adapt to -future- pressures/needs, without negating change and stability under influence of power dynamics and actor constellations) and of other regions (policy mobility); and,
• Bottom-up action and approaches (citizen, community, CBO, NGO) in evoking and adapting to a more sustainable and just water society and organizing learning networks (public-private-civil-…)
Implementation has come again to the foreground of discussion on public (water) policy. The UNFCCC (2021) states: “The faster the climate changes, and the longer adaptation efforts are put off, the more difficult and expensive it could be. […] In simple terms, countries and communities need to develop adaptation solutions and implement action to respond to the impacts of climate change that are already happening, as well as prepare for future impacts.” At the same time, “the Sustainable Development Goals call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. [...] Today, progress is being made in many places, but, overall, action to meet the Goals is not yet advancing at the speed or scale required […]” (UN, 2020).
This Research Topic calls for empirical papers that explore the actions undertaken by governments and other statutory bodies to tackle issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, e.g., safe water and sanitation to all) and/or adaptation actions to address impacts of climate change, in terms of policy development and implementation. We are especially interested in:
• Relationship between governance (and its questions on -water- justice, equity, integrity, and voice and empowerment) and policy -implementation- practices;
• Day-to-day operation and co-operation, distribution, monitoring, adaptation, and political decision-making, planning and implementation of water policy; and,
• Implementation of water policy, its outcomes, and the lessons learned for more sustainable and equitable policy futures.
As the nature of water, being vital and fluid, requires public responsibility, accountability, and action, we are also interested in empirical research focusing on public-private partnerships, citizen/private led action, and other forms of co-management of water systems, its consequences, and the lessons drawn from it in relation to sustainable management and development. In this Research Topic, we want to especially welcome studies and authors from the global south.
Policy implementation research has had several revivals over the decades and can be regarded as one of the ancestors of governance. Studies on (water) policy implementation can be found at the intersection of (water) management and governance, public administration, public management, organizational theory, political science, and development studies. General theories of and studies on policy implementation have focused, generally, on domestic issues, with a bias towards the global North. Yet, actions are taking place everywhere and a better understanding of practices in policy and management, especially in the global South, is needed to support our understandings of the complexities of implementing water policy and to support governments and partners in achieving the enormous goals and challenges ahead of us.
Lastly, this Research Topic welcomes original empirical studies (single/multiple comparative case studies relying on interdisciplinary/integrated approaches) aiming to understand policy implementation practices from new perspectives, e.g., what happens in the domain of water policy implementation, why and how, and what can be learned from it. It trickles down to the questions of “what can we learn from the field practice, globally?” and “how do we apply what is learned to contribute to a sustainable and equitable world?”.
Studies relevant under this Research Topic include, but are not limited to:
• Water policy implementation practices and actions in the field/city/river/wetlands/irrigation development and management;
• The role of various types of knowledge (science/evidence based, political ideologies, experiential knowledge, believes, myths, values, and moral) on policy action and inaction in various water sectors (in various regions);
• Policy implementation, dilemmas, and strategies of local governments between state and community, between high ambitions and limited resources, and bricolage and pragmatic approaches to make it function;
• Policy change deriving from observation of practices in implementation, monitoring, and evaluation (teaching communities to change and adapt to -future- pressures/needs, without negating change and stability under influence of power dynamics and actor constellations) and of other regions (policy mobility); and,
• Bottom-up action and approaches (citizen, community, CBO, NGO) in evoking and adapting to a more sustainable and just water society and organizing learning networks (public-private-civil-…)
