The Role of Native American Tribes in Transforming River Basin Governance in the U.S. West

The purpose of this research was to investigate the hypothesis that in the U.S. West, the presence of Native American land ownership (reservations) and capacity for tribal natural resource management supports adaptive river basin governance, and specifically, helps to balance cultural and ecological values of rivers in the federal processes of hydropower relicensing. I approached this research through a mixed methods approach of spatial (GIS) analysis, analysis of existing datasets of U.S. dam removals, and a robust literature review

Evolving adaptive governance: challenging assumptions through an examination of fisheries law in Solomon Islands

Unprecedented, rapid social-ecological change threatens marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of communities who depend on them. Governance scholars have identified adaptive governance principles that enable managers and decision makers to respond flexibly to such change. However, much of this work is the result of case studies undertaken in the Global North, primarily in democratic countries. Despite this research bias, governance actors (e.g., government officials, nongovernmental organization professionals) in countries with other types of governing systems are increasingly applying adaptive governance principles normatively to policy. This expansion in the implementation of adaptive governance requires that governance scholars account for substantial variation across legal systems and sociocultural norms around decision-making in different geographies. Governance scholars must closely examine areas where adaptive governance principles need to evolve to better suit a wide variety of governance contexts. Here, we conduct such an examination through an empirical case study of a fisheries law developed in a country in the Global South: the Solomon Islands Fisheries Management Act (2015). We analyze the content of the Act along with data from interviews with governance actors and fishing village residents. We show how the Act realizes several adaptive governance principles through novel provisions that formally incorporate local communities and their practices into national fisheries management. We then illustrate four challenges for implementation that require critical reflection on approaches to institutionalizing adaptive governance in diverse contexts. We illustrate how these challenges are rooted in three assumptions underlying adaptive governance theory. These assumptions relate to: (1) the role of the state, (2) the role of democratic ideals in enforcement, and (3) the role of Western science, compared to other epistemologies, in decision-making. We conclude with suggestions for evolving these assumptions to improve the institutionalization of adaptive governance in countries with a wide variety of legal systems and governing norms

Effects of Pacing When Using Material Handling Manipulators

Common manipulator-assisted materials handling tasks were performed in a laboratory simulation at self-selected and faster (paced) speeds. The effects of pacing on peak hand forces, torso kinematics, spine moments and forces, and muscle antagonism were determined, along with any influences of several task variables on these effects. The faster trials were performed 20% more rapidly than the self-paced trials. It was found that (a) achieving this level of performance required 10% higher hand forces and 5%-10% higher torso moments, (b) consistent torso postures and motions were used for both speed conditions, and (c) the faster trials resulted in 10% higher spine forces and 15% higher levels of lumbar muscle antagonism. On whole, these results suggest a higher risk of musculoskeletal injury associated with performance of object transfers at faster than self-selected speeds with and without a manipulator. Further analysis provided evidence that the use of manipulators involves higher levels of motor coordination than do manual tasks. Several implications regarding the use of material handling manipulators in paced operations are discussed. Results from this investigation can be used in the design, evaluation, and selection of material handling manipulators.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67067/2/10.1518_001872099779591240.pd

Water Governance in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of Institutional and Political Context

Water crises are often crises of governance. To address interrelated issues of securing access to sustainable sources of safe water for the world’s populations, scholar and practitioners have suggested fostering improved modes of water governance that support the implementation of integrated water resource management (IWRM). Recently, implementation of an IWRM approach was announced as a target for achieving Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study employs an analytical hierarchy process with a SWOT analysis to assess the current institutional and political context of water governance in Bangladesh and evaluate IWRM as a means to achieve the SDGs