Bridging the Governance Gap: Emerging Strategies to Integrate Water and Land Use Planning

Abstract

This article provides a broad overview of the historical disconnect between land use and water planning.This problem can be described as a "governance gap"-a lack of integration in planning processes and a failure to examine and communicate the consequences of both land use and water choices at various levels of government.This article describes the various problems that arise due to this governance gap, articulates a vision for a more sustainable future based on emerging strategies to integrate land and water use early in the planning process, and suggests key policy changes that would move us more deliberately in that direction.The article focuses on the arid western United States, but many of the tools are applicable throughout the country.