Illuminating the Collective Learning Continuum in the Colorado River Basin Science-Policy Forums

Keywords: Colorado River Basin, collective learning, environmental governance, drought, non-learning, science policy
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

In transboundary water governance, substantial attention is given to centralized venues, focusing on discourse and practice at national and international scales. However, sub-national or decentralized spaces are often key to building resilient governance by providing greater opportunities for diverse actors to share knowledge and contribute to holistic dialogue. While research on collective learning in environmental governance has grown in the past two decades, it has mainly focused on where learning occurred, leaving gaps in understanding the drivers and barriers to learning.
Our research explores learning, blocked learning (i.e., learning not transferred into knowledge or action) and non-learning (i.e., absence of learning) in decentralized water governance, where decision-making authority is distributed across multiple actors, in the Colorado River Basin. We target six science-policy venues in the Basin where the day-to-day management of issues like salinity control, species management, and reservoir management occurs. These venues involve diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, U.S. state and federal representatives, Native American tribes, local communities, and universities.
Using interviews and document analysis, we explore perceived barriers to learning and relational characteristics underlying these barriers, as well as factors contributing to learning. We discover technical and social factors as common drivers of both learning and blocked learning, while structural factors contribute to non-learning. The cases reveal insights into the role of political factors, such as timing or legal constraints, which are underdeveloped in the collective learning framework. These findings advance theoretical knowledge of collective learning in environmental governance and offer practical insights for strengthening science and management within the Basin.