Placing environmental democracy at the heart of co-governance: rethinking the governance of complex waterways

Research on the governance of complex waterways, such as Ontario's Rideau Canal and Trent-Severn Waterway, reveals that current co-governance approaches often fall short of democratic ideals, leading to stakeholder dissatisfaction. The study proposes three key reforms—tiered collaborative mechanisms, targeted exercises to strengthen stakeholder ties, and semi-regular communication forums—to enhance environmental democracy within co-governance frameworks. These reforms aim to bridge gaps between ecological and social systems, improve decision-making adaptability, and ensure more inclusive and legitimate governance structures.

Beaudoin, C., Mistry, I., & Young, N. (2024). Placing environmental democracy at the heart of co-governance: rethinking the governance of complex waterways. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 27(2), 152–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908x.2024.2429550