Missing bridges: Social network (dis)connectivity in water governance

Nowhere are the effects of climate change felt more acutely than in rural water-scarce regions where adaptation through effective watershed governance is urgently required. This study utilizes social network analysis to investigate two rural water-scarce regions in Canada, focusing on identifying and developing bridging actors, structurally located to provide enhanced collaboration and increased adaptive capacity within the water governance network. Understanding the nature of the connectivity including the spectrum of bridging services provided within a watershed planning network is critical to understanding the effectiveness of the watershed planning network and future water governance configurations in achieving long term water sustainability.