Hybrid governance and 'wicked' natural resource risks

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the changing nature of natural resource sustainability issues, the ability of traditional legal arrangements to cope, and the necessity for a transition to a new form of hybrid governance. 'Natural resource governance' is the system through which an organisation (a society, country, culture, corporation) governs (controls, manages, directs, shapes) how natural resources are used or protected, to avoid abuses of power or opportunity and to ensure that the collective interest is protected. The IDCN defines governance as 'interactions among structures, processes and traditions that determine how power and responsibilities are exercised, how decisions are taken, and how citizens or other stakeholders have their say in the management of natural resources - including biodiversity conservation' (IDCN WCC Resolution 3.012).