Resolving conflict and building cooperation in the National Estuary program

Area of Science:

• Environmental Policy
• Water Resource Management
• Collaborative Governance

Background:

• The US Environmental Protection Agency National Estuary Program (NEP), established in 1987, is recognized as a key model for collaborative watershed management.
• Collaborative institutions are frequently promoted for their potential to resolve conflicts and foster cooperation at the watershed level.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the NEP in resolving conflict and building cooperation.
• To identify the specific activities within the NEP that contribute to successful outcomes.
• To summarize the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative institutions using the NEP as a case study.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from focused surveys of policy elites across 22 estuaries.
• Estimation of statistical models to compare NEP-involved estuaries with similar estuaries lacking NEP involvement.

Main Results:

• The NEP demonstrates a superior ability to resolve conflict compared to estuaries without the program.
• The NEP is more effective in building project-level cooperation than non-NEP estuaries.
• Specific NEP activities were identified by respondents as key drivers of these positive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The NEP serves as a successful model for collaborative watershed management, demonstrating tangible benefits in conflict resolution and cooperation.
• The findings highlight the advantages of structured collaborative institutions in addressing complex environmental challenges.
• Policy elites perceive specific NEP activities as crucial for its success in fostering cooperation.