Project overview
In 2021 and 2022 EDS investigated the role of science in freshwater policy by exploring development of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020.
The overarching objective of our Science for Policy Project is to identify how the scientific basis underpinning policy might be strengthened and our systems better configured to support a robust evidence informed approach to environmental decision-making.
Science for Policy case study: Freshwater management
Commencing in April 2021, EDS undertook an in-depth case study looking at the role of science in the development of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020.
Our analysis found that regulatory direction and the regulatory impact assessment process prioritise economic considerations over scientific ones, greatly elevating the evidentiary burden and creating systemic inertia against environmental reform. It also identified a wide disjunct between the science funding system and the science needs of policy makers.
Key findings and recommendations were published in a report called “Science for Policy: The Role of Science in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management” (August 2022).
This case study was funded as part of the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, through Challenge contractor AgResearch.
Please contact Dr Deidre Koolen-Bourke at deidre@eds.org.nz for further information.
