What one knows is unknown to others

A Sediment Transport Study and its Policy Application

Authors

  • Richard Meissner Centre for Water Resources Research | University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Nebo Jovanovic a Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
  • Chantel Petersen Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Keywords:

: Sediment transport, Olifants River Basin, policy, uptake strategy, mutual learning

Abstract

The uptake of scientific knowledge is not always a grand affair. Many observers assume that
scientists need to communicate with high-ranking government officials to influence policy.
Grandiosely seen, scientists’ views and understandings are utilised by government officials to change
a national, provincial, or local government policy. Scientists can also communicate scientific
knowledge with government officials in a ‘low-key’ manner where public administrators are not
at the top of the governmental hierarchy. This paper reports on a dialogue between scientists from
the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and officials from the South African
Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) regarding a sediment research project in the Olifants
River, South Africa. One of our results is that how scientists view the policy environment could
have a bearing on the nature of their initiatives to develop uptake strategies. A view that exclusively
highlights governments as policy actors could inevitably exclude non-state actors and vice versa.

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Published

2017-09-01

How to Cite

Meissner, R. ., Jovanovic, N. ., & Petersen, C. . (2017). What one knows is unknown to others: A Sediment Transport Study and its Policy Application. International Journal of Water Governance, 5, 1–18. Retrieved from https://journals.open.tudelft.nl/ijwg/article/view/5819

Issue

Section

Research Article

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