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Learning and local government in coastal South Australia: towards a community of practice framework for adapting to global change

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Abstract

Social learning can be a vital tool in assisting communities to adapt to change. Local governments can be a conduit between the communities they serve and the policy that they are trying to implement. Social learning in this context can be an iterative, often organic process. Based on a case study of coastal planning in South Australia, Australia, this paper presents the results of a qualitative mixed-method approach that documents the aspects of social learning within coastal management and evaluates the various lessons learned by local governments in South Australia. The role of social learning and adaptive governance is discussed. The paper concludes that by deliberatively incorporating the notion of communities of practice into learning frameworks, local governments can more effectively manage their coastal zones in response to global change.

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Notes

  1. This project was reviewed and approved by the University of Adelaide Human Ethics committee, and is consistent with the national research guidelines, Australia for this kind of work.

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Acknowledgments

Firstly, we would like to thank all the individuals in all the local, state and federal governments who (i) agreed to provide access to all the documents and (ii) agreed to be interviewed. Without you all, this project would not have been possible. This research was undertaken by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Flagship Coastal Collaboration Cluster with funding from the CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund. The Coastal Collaboration Cluster is an Australian research program designed to enable more effective dialogue between knowledge-makers and decision-makers in Australia’s coastal zone and to thereby contribute to coastal sustainability in Australia. The Cluster is composed of seven Australian universities working with the CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship and Climate Adaptation Flagship.

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There are no conflicts of interest associated with the publication of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geography, Environment and Population, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Melissa Nursey-Bray & Nick Harvey

  2. Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, DC, 4558, Australia

    Timothy F. Smith

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  1. Melissa Nursey-Bray
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  2. Nick Harvey
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  3. Timothy F. Smith
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Correspondence to Melissa Nursey-Bray.

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Editor: Virginia R. Burkett.

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Nursey-Bray, M., Harvey, N. & Smith, T.F. Learning and local government in coastal South Australia: towards a community of practice framework for adapting to global change. Reg Environ Change 16, 733–746 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0779-0

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