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A watershed moment for healthy watersheds

Published Article

United States

Publication date: January 2, 2023

File format: url

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This Nature Sustainability study explains how healthy watersheds connect ecosystem condition with human well-being, helping decision-makers evaluate trade-offs in water management. It emphasizes moving beyond technocratic approaches, recognizing ecosystem services, and embracing participatory, locally grounded watershed governance.

Subject Tags

  • Watersheds
  • Policy

Summary

The healthy watersheds concept links ecosystem condition with human benefits and helps decision-makers evaluate trade-offs. Implementation requires letting go of technocratic approaches, accounting for ecosystem services, embracing watersheds’ complexity and supporting participatory processes and subsidiarity.

Citation

Vollmer, D., Abell, R., Bezerra, M., Harrison, I., Hauck, S., Shaad, K., & Souter, N. (2023). A watershed moment for healthy watersheds. Nature Sustainability, 6(3), 233-235.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01027-y

TNC Authors

  • Robin Abell
    Durable Freshwater Protection Director
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: robin.abell@TNC.ORG