Abstract
Groundwater sustainability is challenged by the difference between legal and scientific understanding of groundwater, as well as the lack of focused attention to regulatory design in the literature on groundwater institutions, governance and management. The purpose of this paper is to use the scientific characteristics of groundwater to direct the necessary elements of regulatory design for this unique element. Developing interdisciplinary language that could be applied in any jurisdiction or region, the article describes seven groundwater characteristics as processes, functions, qualities, physical sustainability, scale, information and data, and physical state. Using these characteristics of groundwater embeds the scientific understanding of groundwater into regulatory design and enables the expression of new values such as Indigenous rights to water. Applying these scientific characteristics to a case study of new groundwater regulation in a subnational jurisdiction in the Global North—British Columbia (BC), Canada—highlights the failure of regulatory design even in a well-resourced jurisdiction where environmental regulation is the norm. Groundwater in BC is extremely heterogeneous in process and function, with low observation density and undefined sustainability goals where regulations are applied uniformly. Looking forward, three recommendations can be drawn using the scientific characteristics of groundwater to improve regulatory design in BC: defining sustainability goals and ecological thresholds; regionalizing and prioritizing; and long-term planning. This science-forward and interdisciplinary approach has implications for states with customary water entitlements and multiple legal orders. It also provides practitioners with an interdisciplinary language that can be useful for assessing current and future regulatory design.
Résumé
La durabilité des eaux souterraines est mise à mal par la différence entre la compréhension juridique et l’appréhension scientifique des eaux souterraines, ainsi que par le manque d’attention portée à la conception de la réglementation dans la littérature sur les institutions, la gouvernance et la gestion des eaux souterraines. L’objectif du présent article est d’utiliser les caractéristiques scientifiques des eaux souterraines pour orienter les éléments nécessaires à la conception de la réglementation de cet élément unique. Développant un langage interdisciplinaire qui pourrait être appliqué dans n’importe quelle juridiction ou région, l’article décrit sept caractéristiques des eaux souterraines qui sont les processus, les fonctions, les qualités, la durabilité physique, l’échelle, l’information et les données et l’état physique. L’utilisation de ces caractéristiques des eaux souterraines intègre la compréhension scientifique des eaux souterraines dans la conception de la réglementation et permet l’expression de nouvelles valeurs, telles que les droits à l’eau des Indigènes. L’application de ces caractéristiques scientifiques à une étude de cas de la nouvelle réglementation des eaux souterraines dans une juridiction infranationale du Nord du globe terrestre—la Colombie-Britannique (BC), Canada–souligne l’échec de la conception de la réglementation, même dans une juridiction bien pourvue en ressources où la réglementation environnementale est la norme. En Colombie Britannique, les eaux souterraines sont extrêmement hétérogènes dans leur processus et leur fonctionnement, avec une faible densité d’observation et des objectifs de durabilité non définis et les réglementations y sont appliquées uniformément. Pour l’avenir, trois recommandations peuvent être extraites des caractéristiques des eaux souterraines pour améliorer la conception de la réglementation en Colombie Britannique : définition des objectifs de durabilité et des seuils environnementaux ; régionalisation et priorisation ; planification sur le long terme. Cette approche basée sur les avancées scientifiques et interdisciplinaire a des implications pour les Etats dotés de droits d’eau coutumiers et des ordres juridiques multiples. Il fournit aussi aux praticiens un langage interdisciplinaire qui peut être utile pour évaluer un projet actuel et futur de réglementation.
Resumen
La sostenibilidad de las aguas subterráneas se enfrenta al desafío de la diferencia entre su comprensión jurídica y científica, así como a la falta de atención centrada en el marco normativo que existe en la literatura sobre las instituciones, la gobernanza y la gestión de las aguas subterráneas. El propósito de este trabajo es utilizar las características propias de las aguas subterráneas para orientar los elementos necesarios del diseño normativo de este elemento único. Desarrollando un lenguaje interdisciplinar que podría aplicarse en cualquier jurisdicción o región, el artículo describe siete características de las aguas subterráneas como procesos, funciones, cualidades, sostenibilidad física, escala, información y datos, y estado físico. El uso de estas características de las aguas subterráneas incorpora la comprensión científica en el diseño normativo y permite la inclusión de nuevos valores, como los derechos indígenas al agua. La aplicación de estas características a un estudio de caso sobre la nueva regulación de las aguas subterráneas en una jurisdicción del Norte Global—Columbia Británica (CB), Canadá—pone de manifiesto el fracaso del marco regulador, incluso en una jurisdicción con buenos recursos en la que la regulación medioambiental es la norma. Las aguas subterráneas de CB son extremadamente heterogéneas en cuanto a procesos y funciones, con una baja densidad de observación y objetivos de sostenibilidad indefinidos en los que la normativa se aplica de manera uniforme. De cara al futuro, pueden extraerse tres recomendaciones utilizando las características de las aguas subterráneas para mejorar el diseño de la legislación en la Columbia Británica: definir objetivos de sostenibilidad y umbrales ecológicos; regionalizar y priorizar; y planificar a largo plazo. Este enfoque científico e interdisciplinario tiene implicaciones para los Estados con derechos de aguas tradicionales y múltiples ordenamientos jurídicos. También proporciona a los profesionales un lenguaje interdisciplinar que puede ser útil para evaluar el diseño normativo actual y futuro.
摘要
地下水的可持续性受到法律和科学对地下水理解的差异，以及文献中关于地下水制度、治理和管理的监管设计关注不足的挑战。本文旨在利用地下水的科学特性来指导监管设计所必需的要素。通过开发可应用于任何司法管辖区或地区的跨学科语言，论文将地下水的七个特性描述为过程、功能、质量、物理可持续性、尺度、信息和数据以及物理状态。使用这些地下水特性将科学对地下水的科学理解嵌入到监管设计中，并使其能够表达新的价值观，如土著对水的权利。将这些科学特性应用于北半球的一个次国家管辖区——加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省(BC)的新地下水监管案例研究中，突显了监管设计的失败，即使在资源充足、环境监管成为常态的管辖区也一样。在BC，地下水的过程和功能极为异质化，观测密度低，可持续性目标未定义，而监管法规却是统一适用的。展望未来，可以利用地下水的科学特性提出三个建议，以改善不列颠哥伦比亚省的监管设计:定义可持续性目标和生态阈值；进行区域化和优先排序；以及进行长期规划。这种以科学为先导的跨学科方法对于具有习惯性水权和多个法律秩序的国家具有重要意义。它还为从业者提供了一种跨学科语言，可以用于评估当前和未来的监管设计。
Resumo
A sustentabilidade das águas subterrâneas é desafiada pela diferença entre a compreensão legal e científica das águas subterrâneas, bem como pela falta de atenção focada no projeto regulatório na literatura sobre instituições, governança e gestão das águas subterrâneas. O objetivo deste artigo é usar as características científicas das águas subterrâneas para direcionar os elementos necessários do projeto regulatório para este elemento único. Desenvolvendo uma linguagem interdisciplinar que pode ser aplicada em qualquer jurisdição ou região, o artigo descreve sete características das águas subterrâneas como processos, funções, qualidades, sustentabilidade física, escala, informações e dados e estado físico. O uso dessas características das águas subterrâneas incorpora a compreensão científica das águas subterrâneas no projeto regulatório e permite a expressão de novos valores, como os direitos indígenas à água. A aplicação dessas características científicas a um estudo de caso de uma nova regulamentação de águas subterrâneas em uma jurisdição subnacional no norte global—Colúmbia Britânica (CB), Canadá—destaca a falha do projeto regulatório mesmo em uma jurisdição com bons recursos onde a regulamentação ambiental é a norma. A água subterrânea na CB é extremamente heterogênea em processo e função, com baixa densidade de observação e metas de sustentabilidade indefinidas, onde os regulamentos são aplicados uniformemente. Olhando para o futuro, três recomendações podem ser feitas usando as características científicas das águas subterrâneas para melhorar o desenho regulatório na CB: definir metas de sustentabilidade e limites ecológicos; regionalizar e priorizar; e planejamento de longo prazo. Esta abordagem científica e interdisciplinar tem implicações para os estados com direitos habituais de água e múltiplas ordens legais. Ele também fornece aos profissionais uma linguagem interdisciplinar que pode ser útil para avaliar o projeto regulatório atual e futuro.
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Appendix: Key terminology
Appendix: Key terminology
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First Nations: Métis and Inuit are the political organizations of Indigenous communities that interact with the state in Canada. First Nations are the principal Indigenous organization in BC.
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Governance: How decisions are made (who makes decisions, how, and at what scale). In policy science, governance has moved beyond the state into many institutions and processes that include civil society, markets, transnational bodies and local organizations as well as state governments (Chandhoke 2003 p. 2957).
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Groundwater sustainability: Maintaining dynamically stable groundwater levels, flows, and quality using equitable, effective, and long-term governance and management to sustain water, food, and energy security, environmental flows, and groundwater-dependent ecosystems, infrastructure, social well-being, and local economies for current and future generations (Gleeson et al. 2020a). The focus herein is on how the physical components of sustainability (maintaining levels and flows) relate to regulatory design (Fig. 2).
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Indigenous communities: Self-identified groups of Indigenous peoples.
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Integrated water resources management (IWRM): A process that promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems (Hassing et al. 2009).
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Regulatory design: The sum total of choices of legal approaches and strategies that result in a regulatory infrastructure intended to meet specific policy outcomes.
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Scale: An encompassing term that represents the basic spatial, temporal, and power dimensions of a system, or of an analysis of a system (Vervoort et al. 2012).
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Curran, D., Gleeson, T. & Huggins, X. Applying a science-forward approach to groundwater regulatory design. Hydrogeol J 31, 853–871 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-023-02625-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-023-02625-6