Watersheds and intertidal areas are good physical representations of the figuratively complex and boundary-spanning work involved in climate adaptation governance. And when we zoom in on the exchanges/processes occurring in the spaces between land and ocean, valuable insights into liminal governance processes reveal themselves, as well as good advice from the natural world on how to re-tool our broken relationships with other living things.
Upper Pitt River, August 2023
Stewarding abundant fisheries and safeguarding fish habitat are not only important measures of community well-being, they are also expressions of laws and sovereignty. My research explores how multi-level climate networks can learn from traditional fisheries experts - and the fish themselves - on how to connect with one another in boundary-spanning work. I am interested in the realm of possibilities that arise when we explore the spaces in-between, and I see transboundary rivers and coastal waterways as unique sources of inspiration for governance innovation.
As climate adaptation planners continue to grapple with the inevitable challenges that emerge when multiple levels of government seek to co-govern shared spaces, fish are there to offer important lessons in cooperation, flexibility, and power-sharing. When we plan for fish and fish habitat from a place that respects legal pluralism, a range of useful trade-offs and co-benefits will reveal themselves in both physical and conceptual environments - strengthening ecosystems of support and mutuality across species, scales, disciplines, and worldviews.