Bardwell's Basics

So far, we have looked at several very different examples where an Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) approach might provide some improvements to the situation. The case studies show the diversity and complexity of environmental problems. It may be appropriate to turn now to some of the academic literature on the subject. Lisa Bardwell tackles IEM from the very beginning - problem framing. She has a PhD from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and links human psychology to solving environmental problems. In "Problem-Framing: A Perspective on Environmental Problem-Solving" (1991), Bardwell argues that cognitive psychology and conflict management offer perspectives on problem solving that can assist people with addressing even the most complex issues.
Bardwell identifies that environmental problems are "complex, plagued with uncertainty and extremely political" and claims that often people are so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the issues that they become too confused and frustrated to actually take any action. To overcome these challenges, she gets inside the inner workings of the human brain to understand just how we solve problems. Bardwell argues that people have a limited capacity for information. She states that humans can typically process only "5 +/- 2" (or 3-7) packets of information at a time. She also talks about how people construct cognitive maps to help them organise and interpret information. These human limitations result in inadequate problem-solving tendencies that lead to solving the wrong problem, solving a solution, framing a problem so it can't be solved or trying to get agreement on a solution before there is agreement on the problem. Therefore, defining the problem effectively and understanding it is an essential stage of the problem-solving process and has a huge influence over what strategies are adopted later on in the process to address the issue. Bardwell goes on to discuss studies that have shown more effective problem solvers spend more time on problem definition and have better mental models or cognitive maps to draw on and work through the problem.
Bardwell takes this line of argument as a basis to offer some ideas on how to problem-solve more effectively using perspectives from both cognitive psychology and conflict management. She recommends staving off solutions, in favour of spending more time on a detailed problem definition. This can also be known as positional stances in conflict management. Bardwell suggests limiting information but to be wary of over-simplification of issues or encouraging advocacy. She also suggests choosing a level to manage the information and identifying the links between levels. Bardwell encourages the personalisation of environmental problems and here highlights the NIMBY responce. She argues that more tangible results will arise from issues that have clear links established to peoples personal situation. Bardwell suggests that imagery is needed to influence how we think about environmental problems and to inspire success. Finally, she argues that people need to develop a metacognition through an awareness of their own problem-solving process. She argues people should consciously adopt strategies to improve their problem solving abilities.
There is scope here to reflect on how these lessons might be applied to the three previous examples we have discussed. In the case of Lake Horowhenua, on the surface it appears the cause of the pollution is obvious. Why then has the community failed to initiate an action plan to restoring it. Have they really done their problem definition in a way that promotes community involvement? Have they rushed through the problem analysis to formulating solutions, assuming the issues were obvious and therefore forced stakeholders into positional stances? The article broadcast on TV and online does not provide the full information required to fully analyse these possibilities, however, it is likely that some or all of these pitfalls may be the reason why resolution has not yet been found.
Turning now to the Rolleston land-swap, it appears that the problem analysis process has not gained sufficient buy-in from local residents. Even if the council is convinced that the land-swap they have devised is the best solution, they have not managed to persuade others. Perhaps this is a good reminder that environmental problems involve people and cannot be solved with technical solutions alone. Part of the problem definition process is defining the problem from the perspective of all the stakeholders. An expert planner, no matter how technically proficient, cannot produce the best solution using only their professional knowledge. Community values, preferences, experiences and opinions need to be incorporated.
Finally, the post-diaster reconstruction planning in Pakistan. Problem-definition will play a huge part in this complex and tenuous situation. Unfortunately, pressure to find solutions to pressing humanitarian concerns may cause the problem analysis phase to be rushed and may need to be revisited. Perhaps there is an aspect highlighted here that Bardwells article did not draw out, that problem solving is not a linear process. There is requirement for the problem definition stage to be reviewed as the situation progresses. In post-disaster planning the circumstances are volatile and will quickly change in nature. Planning must deal with short-term emergency relief as well as plan for long term recovery. In co-ordinating such planning, the links between short-term and long-term issues must be made to ensure that immediate solutions do not aggrevate larger issues later down the track. Relocating displaced people, for example, may cause resource conflict in their allocated homes. Clearing away waste water, mud and debris may risk the spread of contaminants.
Bardwell's article definately provides plenty of material for reflection and discussion and provides an excellent basis to commence further investigation on IEM topics.

Not all land is created equal

There has been unrest in the Selwyn District of late, over the proposed "land swap" to occur in the Rolleston town centre. The council proposes to swap two pieces of land, of equal size, in order to facilitate what it refers to as co-ordinated growth. In order to expand the town centre, Selwyn District Council proposes to rezone the area known as 'Tennyson Reserve' to retail. It will compensate the loss by allocating two pieces of land outside of the town centre (shown on the map below) as recreational reserves under the Reserves Act 1977. One of these parcels of land is the dog park which is already used by the public, although reserve status will give it greater protection. The proposal has received a large number of submissions opposed to it and a hearing panel in June recommended that the council should not proceed. Those opposed include residents claming that it is considered 'sacred turf' and would have an impact similar to Christchurch residents losing Hagley Park. Also opposed is developer Lloyd Bathurst who owns the Rolleston Square shopping centre and claims there is already enough business-zoned land available. Although the developers opposition is questionable on the grounds of commercial competition, the residents concerns over loss of amenity value are valid. Those in support of the land swap include some residents and the council. The Council says that the land swap is the best option and they have found it hard to tell how much of the community is opposed to it. They have admitted that their judgement is partially based on 'anecdotal' evidence.
Rolleston is a rapidly growing centre and facing an exciting era of development. The land swap ties in with longer term visions of how Rolleston will expand as the population booms. Increasing population density will mean more amenities will be soon be viable such as a public swimming pool, skate ramp and other youth facilities. Rolleston attracts many homeowners and families who are settling in the area for the long-term. Decisons made regarding the use of public land and allocation of green space is an important decison for all to be involved in. An unpopular decison in this circumstance could easily polarise the community and poor planning decisions could have unforseen repercussions later on. If Selwyn District Council wants to really make Rolleston the 'town of the future' they need to conduct a far more integrated approach.
On their website, they currently have a page entitled "Reasons for the Public to Support this Land Exchange". It appears that the Council have already decided on the best option and just want residents to agree on it now. There needs to be a more integrated approach to gain 'buy in' from the community. It appears that residents are not being listened to - or they are not being engaged in a constructive way. When the strategic policy planner is quoted as saying "it is difficult to determine how much of the community is opposed to it" there is clearly a communication problem. If the council does not know what the community wants, how can they serve the interests of their rate payers?
There is also an issue with the use of the Rolleston structure plan. Structure plans are non-statutory instruments which can be used effectively to gain consensus and provide long term vision. However, as they are non-statutory they are not binding in any way. There is a consultation process when approving a structure plan, however, how much do residents raise concern over a structure plan when they know it is not enforcible anyway? The council has justified it's proposal by stating that it is inline with the Rolleston structure plan. However, that is based on an assumption that residents were involved in the consultation process for the structure plan and approved of the final product. The local authority cannot justify a decison based on a non-statutory plan alone.
They need to engage with all stakeholders. There is an opportunity here to conduct progressive, consultative planning - to achieve better outcomes for the community and the urban environment of Rolleston. The council appears to be missing the opportunity, however, in favour of the 'plan and defend' approach.

Government Incapacity: Barrier to Integrated Hazard Management

Some say the world will end in fire, others say in ice...

I'm not sure if this week is particularly catastrophic or whether I am just more attuned to tragedy due to my own recent experience of losing a close friend. Never-the less, it seems there are forces at work, beyond our control, all over the world. Tornados rip across Minnesota, fires and smog engulf Russia, mudslides flatten northwest China and flooding wreaks devastation in Pakistan.

Whilst these are largely unpreventable natural hazards, the management and post-disaster relief is all human. Richard Holbrook, US envoy to Pakistan, has described the flooding there as a "major international humanitarian catastrophe", but sadly these situations are just all too common. Collaborative flood relief and recovery efforts are well underway, although the rain keeps falling and the waters are still rising. The United Nations claims that millions of dollars in aid money will be needed to repair damaged infrastructure, but the problems extend much further than that. Displaced people, potential lawlessness and the spread of disease are just the tip of the iceberg. In the meantime, citizens are angered by the governments poor responce to the hundreds and thousands left homeless. The government has attempted to restrict media reports by closing down two cable operators, GEO TV and ARY News. The Associated Press of Pakistan has reported 1,204 dead, 1,309 injured and 3 million affected, whilst the UN reports estimates of almost double those figures.

The CIA factbook lists Pakistan's main environmental issues as water pollution from raw sewerage, industrial wastes and agricultural run off, lack of fresh water and potable water, deforestation, soil erosion and desertification. Known natural hazards include frequent earthquakes and flooding. Natural disasters are hard enough to endure and recover from in high income, democratic states. How will a tenuous state such as Pakistan cope with this devasation? More than anything, Pakistan needs an integrated approach to overcome it's environmental and social issues but also to improve it's economic and political situation. But where do you begin? Pakistan has major territorial disputes with neighbouring countries, especially in Kashmir, over a million refugees and displaced people, not to mention smuggling, drug trafficking, terrorism, civil unrest and corruption. The military is listed as the most important political force (it's not supposed to be a lobby group!!) closely followed by the clergy (ulema) and there is a note on the CIA factbook web page stating that their information on political parties and leaders is only a guide because political alliances frequently change! How to make sence of this quagmire and how to achieve progress? If post-disaster relief is not undertaken in an integrated way, millions of dollars in aid money will be rendered largely ineffective.

The unique character of post-diaster and post-conflict planning is that management is primarily conducted by external agencies. The extreme lack of government capacity to overcome the level of complexity in these situations is in itself one of the greatest challenges. Aid agencies are a disparate group themselves and have varying agendas. UN and coalition led security missions are largely focused on military conflict and terrorism, UN agencies such as UNHCR, UNDP or UN Habitat have their own expertise and concerns. There are state-funded organisations such as USAID along with innumerable independent NGOs each with specific agendas and missions. As they are all independent from each other, there are no clear lines of responsibilities or standard operating procedures. Sometimes their shortfalls can be as simple as assuming they know 'what is best'. An example from neighbouring Afghanistan where foreign aid money paid for wells to be built thoughout villages achieved an unexpected result in one village. In the central Bamian province, a well was blown up. An unusual target for militants, it was discovered the women of the village destroyed the well. The reason for this odd behaviour was because the women of the village no longer had the opportunity to walk to the river and engage in social interaction with other women away from the men. In a 'blue-print' approach to foreign aid, sometimes the underlying fabric of a communnities needs are overlooked.

Vanessa Watson (2009) writes on the challenges for post-conflict and post-disaster planning from an urban planning perspective. She advocates for an integrated framework to overcome the barriers to planning caused by lack of authority and public function. Previous work on this subject by UN Habitat has made use of spacial structure planning to link short-term actions with long-term objectives. It also was a way of integrating the disparate aid agencies and their actions. Watson looks at some of the underlying causes of conflict. She identifies land/property rights as central to re-establishing stability. She also draws attention to the importance of informal institutions and processes which are often more deeply ingrained than the formal ones, indicating a community-based process is the only way to resolve such issues. Some other approaches identified include hazard vulnerability and risk mapping as an essential component to integrated environmental management. Common themes to assist post-conflict and post-disaster management include: have a strategic vision, be flexible and avoid being fixated on an end goal (goal trap), make links from policy to implementation, include stakeholders and community groups not just experts, include objectives greater than just military security and immediate relief, diffuse planning throughout local government systems and (above all) establish strong and appropriate leadership. In these situations the issues are complex and not just environmental. There are severe political and security related repercussions for which the present environmental problem is the catalyst. In Pakistan there are fears that flood victims may be forced to join the Taleban as a result of losing their means to survival. If the immediate and longer term needs of the community are not addressed, it will only add fuel to an already blazing fire. The integrated environmental management approach offers a hugh number of lessons and tools to overcoming the challenges of post-conflict and post-diaster planning. The body of literature in this specific field is still fairly limited and often separates short-term emergency relief efforts from longer-term development support. However, with an increasing frequency of severe weather events and no sign of world peace being declared anytime soon, addressing environmental issues should be high on the agenda for global security. I will continue to maintian a strong interest in this area and watch with interest and compassion as events unfold.