Community perceptions of environmental water: a review

• Published in: Environmental conservation Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 73 - 82
• Main Authors: Kosovac, Anna, Horne, Avril C, O’Donnell, Erin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Allocations; Climate change; Community; Decision making; Fresh water; Interdisciplinary aspects; Legitimacy; Literature reviews; Perceptions; Protozoa; Science; Stakeholders; Subject Review; Terminology; Water allocation; Waterways; Australia; Canada; United States > US; fairness; environmental flows; perceptions; Indigenous; stakeholder management; water for the environment; water policy; environmental water; irrigator; stakeholders; community; democratic decision-making
• ISSN: 0376-8929; 1469-4387
• DOI: 10.1017/S0376892923000036

Allocation of water specifically to the environment (often dubbed ‘environmental water’ or ‘environmental flows’) can be contentious within government, among irrigators and between community members. The reduction in supply of fresh water has led to questions surrounding the efficiencies and ecological value of securing these adequate flows for waterways. This literature review examines the evidence on these perceptions of environmental water allocations, focusing foremost on general public, irrigator, Indigenous and decision-maker perspectives. Existing studies are predominantly in Global North areas such as Australia, Canada and the USA. Two themes featured strongly in the papers: the importance of personal values in the acceptance of environmental water and the perception of fairness in environmental water allocation processes. Although the research area has been expanding, there is still limited representation in types of study, disciplinary backgrounds and study locations, and as such many research opportunities remain.