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River flows and water wars: emerging science for environmental decision making
Author(s) -
Poff N LeRoy,
Allan J David,
Palmer Margaret A.,
Hart David D.,
Richter Brian D.,
Arthington Angela H.,
Rogers Kevin H.,
Meyer Judy L.,
Stanford Jack A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/1540-9295(2003)001[0298:rfawwe]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - vision , government (linguistics) , river ecosystem , environmental resource management , scale (ratio) , business , environmental planning , ecosystem , political science , environmental science , ecology , sociology , geography , linguistics , philosophy , cartography , anthropology , biology
Real and apparent conflicts between ecosystem and human needs for fresh water are contributing to the emergence of an alternative model for conducting river science around the world. The core of this new paradigm emphasizes the need to forge new partnerships between scientists and other stakeholders where shared ecological goals and river visions are developed, and the need for new experimental approaches to advance scientific understanding at the scales relevant to whole‐river management. We identify four key elements required to make this model succeed: existing and planned water projects represent opportunities to conduct ecosystem‐scale experiments through controlled river flow manipulations; more cooperative interactions among scientists, managers, and other stakeholders are critical; experimental results must be synthesized across studies to allow broader generalization; and new, innovative funding partnerships are needed to engage scientists and to broadly involve the government, the private sector, and NGOs.