Transformational Change in Environmental and Natural Resource Management: Guidelines for Policy Excellence

The aim of this book is to catalyse global interest in the pursuit of transformational changes in natural resource and environmental management. It is shown that transformational policy reforms involve fundamental shifts in strategy with far-reaching consequences for the structure of industries, the way people behave and the resources they use.

Transformational reforms typically involve a decision to change a suite of institutional arrangements that will result, within a short period of time, in a paradigm shift and the emergence of an approach that will be recognised as being totally different to the arrangements that were previously in place. Transformational change is well established in business and can deliver outstanding results. In the world of policy development, however, many transformational policy reforms flounder. Unlike incremental policy reforms, they are often seen to be politically risky and prone to failure.

Using examples of success and failure, coupled with insights from practitioners and academics who have succeeded in getting transformational reforms implemented, this book presents a set of guidelines for excellence in the pursuit of transformational policy reforms. It includes detailed case studies from Australia, China, Europe, New Zealand, South-east Asia and the USA.

Mike Young was the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University, USA. He holds a Professorial Chair in Water and Environmental Policy at Adelaide University, Australia, and is an Honorary Professor at the University of College London, UK, and a Research Fellow at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Sustainable Environmental Policy Solutions, USA.

Christine Esau is a journalist and research editor based in Australia, with a particular interest in compelling environmental dialogues.