| dc.description.abstract | This comparative case study, examining two partnerships in the San Francisco
Estuary and two in the Biesbosch, seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on good
water governance. More specifically, it zooms into the waterscapes known as estuaries to
find out how the relevant actors can work to achieve better water governance systems that
are (1) respectable, (2) legitimate, and (3) robust. To do so, it poses the central research
question:
Which explanatory factors promote or hinder the development of watershed
partnerships in the Biesbosch and the San Francisco estuaries? Furthermore, how
can any incongruities with the assessments of theoretical literature be explained?
The research tackled this question by assembling a cluster of independent variables
derived from literature and tested them in the four areas. The main findings were that
communication and the adaptability/ flexibility of a partnership were the most important
factors for success. When tested, the relationship between the partnerships’ conformity
to aggregated list of independent variables versus their actual success proved to be
internally valid, but was externally unverifiable, as the results were inconsistent when
interpreted in an isolated context without the knowledge of contextual information.
This discrepancy is due to the fact that the independent variables tested did not account
for the external factors and events that affected the functioning of the partnerships.
Overall, this list of independent variables is useful as a tool for partially assessing
partnership success, however it is in need of refinement, especially in its inclusion of
exogenous factors in the analysis. | |
