Adaptive Management and Water: The Importance of Science to Public Policy and Water Management

Adaptive Management. Those two words have become integral to water policy and management actions since the mid-1990's. Coupling adaptive management with water legislation, policy, and agency operations has become a requirement for political and public support and action. Due to the variability of water resources, the unknown impacts of variability and extreme events have made adaptive management a publicly required element but has it been for the right reasons and to what success?