Approaching barriers to environmental flow implementation using social-ecological systems thinking

Environmental flows are a key tool for ensuring the sustainability of rivers, but successful implementation remains limited. Many barriers to implementation relate to the broader context of water management, social acceptance, or governance. We examine the role of social–ecological systems (SES) and frameworks in guiding the links between social science and traditional environmental flow methods to best target implementation barriers. We concentrate on the characteristic ways in which SES frameworks interpret relationships in a system. We make the case for a greater focus on connecting environmental flow applications to broader SES and water management contexts during the design stages of environmental flow programs.

Grupper, M., Webb, J.A., Olden, J.D., and A.C. Horne. 2025. Identifying and approaching barriers to environmental flow implementation using social-ecological systems thinking. WIREs Water 12:e1764. Article