This book addresses the role of law in the adaptive management of
socio-ecological systems.
Recent years have witnessed a rise in discussion over the relation
between adaptivity and law, as if after decades of insouciance, legal
scholars have finally started to understand the impacts of the
scientific paradigm called 'adaptive management' on the legal sphere.
Even though the complicated relations between law and the adaptive
management of socio-ecological systems have become more debated, a
thorough examination of the scientific and theoretical fundamentals of
such endeavours has yet to be presented. Using the illustrative example
of European Union water governance and its path toward embracing
adaptive management, this book emphasises the legal significance of
properly understanding the manner in which scientific knowledge of the
environment is produced. Though always pivotal, rigorously apprehending
science is especially crucial when dealing with the management of
complex ecosystems as the 'normative' is created gradually before law
begins to examine the 'facts' of the matter. After examining the roots
of adaptive management, this book argues that the legal needs to
understand itself as an integral part of the process of the
socio-ecological management of complex systems and not merely an
external umpire resolving disputes.
As a whole, the book offers new insights into the EU regulator's
approaches to scientific realities, making it an interesting read not
only to academics and legal scholars but also to regulators striving to
deepen their understanding or pondering which approach to adopt in the
face of new regulatory challenges, and to scientists interested in the
science and law aspects of their work.
