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Article
Governance and geopolitics as drivers of change in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence basin
Journal of Great Lakes Research (2015)
  • Sara Gosman, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
  • Savitri Jetoo, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
  • Adam Thorn, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario
  • Kathryn Friedman
  • Gail Krantzberg, University of Michigan Law School
Abstract
This article provides an overview of governance and geopolitics as drivers of change in the Great LakesSt Lawrence basin. It separates regional conditions into two themes, water quantity and water quality, and tracing historical trends since 1963. This study of the history of Great Lakes region governance and geopolitics reveals recurrent themes that impact the sustainability of the resource: institutional fragmentation, the changing relationship between federal and sub-national levels of government in Canada and the US, governance capacity, and the impact of geopolitics on governance. These themes are explored to imagine the future under three potential scenarios: a utopian scenario of a sustainable Great Lakes basin with robust governance in place, the status quo scenario of business as usual and, a dystopian scenario of poor governance that contributes to potential ecological disaster.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
Citation Information
Sara Gosman, Savitri Jetoo, Adam Thorn, Kathryn Friedman, et al.. "Governance and geopolitics as drivers of change in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence basin" Journal of Great Lakes Research Vol. 41 (2015) p. 108
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/sara-gosman/1/