DATE / TIME:

2017/06/19    15:00 - 17:00

Location:

Dresden, Germany

Lecturer: Sabrina Kirschke (UNU-FLORES)

Coverage/Summary: The Governance of Complex Problems: Addressing Poor Water Quality in Germany

Sabrina Kirschke (UNU-FLORES) presents at Nexus Seminar No. 21

Nexus-related water quality problems, such as micro pollution or leaching in agriculture, are usually described as highly complex or “wicked” problems that resist solutions. This is supposed to impact governance arrangements on how to address the water quality challenge in practice. Claims on the degree of complexity and its impacts have, however, hardly been substantiated by empirical evidence. This presentation provides insight into the multifaceted complexity of 37 pollution-related problems of German water governance within the European Water Framework Directive. It also shows how the complexities of these problems impact on solutions in practice. The analyses are based on particularly good data, including 65 qualitative interviews with experts from science and practice, and a set of about 11,000 measures to address water problems in practice. Results encourage rethinking governance in addressing the water quality challenge in Germany and beyond.

Nexus Seminar Series

UNU-FLORES in collaboration with the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of TU Dresden is excited to announce the Nexus Seminar Series. The joint seminar series, which launched in 2015, features lectures by senior scholars that highlight all dimensions of research on the Nexus Approach, ranging from hands-on implementation strategies to theoretical debates. The Nexus Seminars serve not only as a platform for scientific exchange and cooperation between UNU-FLORES and TU Dresden but also a medium for the partner institutions to discuss their research with a broader audience.

Taking place once a month, each seminar is open to the public and held alternatingly at UNU-FLORES and TU Dresden.

Please find all past Nexus Seminars here.