Institutional arrangements for assessing and managing cumulative effects on watersheds: Lessons from the Grand River watershed, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Assessing and managing cumulative effects on watersheds involves numerous agencies, regulatory frameworks and jurisdictions, and necessitates the co-creation of new, or innovations in existing, institutional arrangements. This paper examines the institutional arrangements needed to implement and sustain cumulative effects assessment and management (CEAM) for watersheds. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with 29 key informants in the Grand River watershed, Canada, including members from academia, government agencies, consulting firms, non-governmental organizations, and First Nations, with knowledge of, and direct experience in, watershed planning, assessment and monitoring. The research explored governance conditions in the watershed based on a framework of CEAM requisites developed from other watersheds where institutional arrangements have been investigated. Results indicate the need for improved institutional arrangements in the Grand River watershed to support the development of watershed CEAM, namely: a combined law–policy approach to implement CEAM, yet ensuring sensitivity to watershed context; a strong mandate for CEAM leadership and the capacity to coordinate CEAM initiatives; and tiering of CEAM planning, monitoring and assessment initiatives as a means to strengthen nested governance structures.