Collaborative governance is discussed by Sergio Graf Montero et al. in respect to the Ayuquila River-Basin in Mexico. A strong theme that is outlined is the purification of regional aquifers by inter-municipal governance. 13 different municipalities, covering an area of 4,100 sq kms joined to remedy the pollution problem in the Ayuquila and Armeria Rivers.[1] Such a process is equally important with the range of municipalities contributing to the pollution of the Manawatu River. Inter-municipal work needs to be done by open forums and networks between councils in the Manawatu. This would involve councillors from Palmerston North, Wanganui, Danniverke, Fielding and Ashhurts all collaborating to improve efficient discharge practices. Open dialogue means that mandatory trips and forums are held, and a general memorandum signed.
Integration is not a unilateral agreement but involves various levels. For example, there has to be coordination on the federal, regional, local and civic level. Coordination simply between the PNCC and the HRC would not suffice because businesses in the surrounding areas would not be covered under their local governments. Successful planning requires cohesion and a contract that transcends political terms and tenures. Under the current government of National, an inter-municipal system could not favour local business or Federated Farmers, just as under a Labour government the agreement could not marginalize businesses and cater solely for minor lobby groups. There has to be a common understanding between all parties involved of the standards required for a cleaner river.
In 2001 8 Mexican municipalities came together to curb the pollution being pumped into the Ayuquila Basin. However, what is more important is that in August the following year the Federal Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources and the Jalisco State Government partnered with the municipalities and setup a trust to finance the operations.[2] Suddenly commitment and written agreements were fleshed out in the form of funds and practical commitments between different parties. The memorandums that were signed were merely a precursor for greater cooperation on the national front, which shows that as local governments are supported by federal services the intentions become certified and much more effective. It was only once the federal and state level governments got involved that finance and resource arrived.
Education is of critical importance. A lack of understanding in the community contributes strongly to the lacklustre care for the Manawatu River. Civil society becomes an asset to the local environment when it is educated and informed of the surrounding problems. The majority of citizens in Palmerston North are outdated with the news of their local river, not knowing that it is an environmental disaster in their midst. It is only upon being informed that they will be able to challenge existing practices and confront local businesses pumping superfluous amounts of effluent into the waterways. One of the most powerful features to education is that it unites civil groups into action. In Mexico an education program was implemented in 2003 which now reaches over 10,000 people per year.[3] The results of this have been astronomical as people have begun to relish the Ayuquila River again and use it for customary, recreational, festival and cultural purposes.
As the citizens have been informed their discharges of solid waste have reduced substantially, falling to 20% of that discharged in 2000.[4] People have begun to flock to the basin once again for Easter celebrations and subsistent needs. The Ayuquila River has been transformed from a spectacle of shame to a national river of pride. Equally too, educational programs need to be implemented in the Manawatu River, outlining the methods needed to purify the waterway and what’s more the intrinsic and immeasurable benefits from having a clean flowing river. A strong benefit of a cleaner river is the heightened use of river sports, especially kayaking. Tournaments and races pushed by an integrated government provide incentives to minimize waste into the Manawatu River. There has been recent construction to facilitate water sports along the river, such as a kayak terminal, but the polluted river provides little incentive for amateurs to become involved.
[1] Sergio Graf Montero et al., “Collaborative Governance for Sustainable Water Resources Management: The Experience of the Inter-Municipal Initiative for the Integrated Management of the Ayuquila River Basin, Mexico,” Environment and Urbanization 18, no. 2 (2006): pg 304.
[2] Sergio Graf Montero et al., pg 304.
[3] Sergio Graf Montero et al., pg 307
[4] Sergio Graf Montero et al., pg 307.