The challenges and opportunities for higher education institutionsat the science-policy interface

Abstract

As one of the major 'producers' of climate change research, highereducation institutions have had a key role to play in getting the climate change onthe policy agenda. As the call for action on climate change intensifies, researcherswithin institutions will face new demands, with new challenges and opportunities,to inform policy to support both mitigation and adaptation. However, the uncertain,complex and interdisciplinary nature of climate change as an issue, combined withthe inevitably highly politicised context of climate change action, means thatinvolvement with policy will have a number of potential pitfalls. This paper drawslessons from recent research into the role of science within water resource management,to consider the challenges and opportunities higher institutions might faceat the science-policy interface for climate change research. It notes that simplyproviding knowledge might be limited by uncertainty and politicisation, and suggeststhat collaborative, co-learning approaches might be more useful. Suchapproaches will require resource intensive interactions between scientists andstakeholders, as well as suitable governance arrangements. However, the paperargues that this focus on collaboration provides opportunities and could havemultiple benefits.