Search

Water management is particularly dependent on strong capacity, a solid knowledge base and awareness at all levels, including those of the individual, the organization, the sector institutions and the 'enabling environment'. Yet getting all levels to operate in a coherent manner is challenging, and requires vision and leadership. This special issue seeks to further the understanding of leadership in knowledge and capacity development in the water sector but its theoretical and methodological insights will be of interest beyond that arena. This paper presents an introduction to the special issue which resulted from selected papers presented at the 5th Delft Symposium on Water Sector Capacity Development held in Delft, The Netherlands. Collectively, the contributions examine knowledge and capacity development in both the water services and water resources sub-sectors. In order to be linked well to current local realities, the papers rely on both academic analyses based on empirical research as well as practitioners' accounts based on their professional experience. Together, the papers in this special issue and the insights from the recent Symposium summarized in this editorial introduction present an overview of the current state of the art in knowledge and capacity development in the water sector. The paper raises salient policy implications and outlines a research agenda for knowledge and capacity development in the water sector and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Symposium on Ecosystem Governance held in South Africa during 2005 enabled scientists from several disciplines to debate issues relating to governance. The symposium provided an opportunity to explore the concept of governance, particularly as it relates to ecosystem governance, by interrogating the concepts of a Trialogue Model: and helped to develop a set of pointers for research on ecosystem governance that could stimulate future cooperation. The working hypothesis is that the Trialogue Model consists of six essential elements, and that successful governance i.e. good governance depends on the balance that is achieved between these elements. The key issues relating to ecosystem governance are presented in this special edition of Water Policy. Each paper interrogates the Trialogue Model, while the pointers for research on ecosystem governance provide a useful way forward for the implementation of government tools. The Trialogue Model of governance provides a simple conceptual construct that directs discussion about current governance processes and structures at different scales. This introductory paper provides an overview of the papers in this special edition, and outlines the set of proposals for research on ecosystem governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]