University of Tasmania, Australia

NRM North Elite Research Scholarship: Regional Governance for Sustainability

Sustainability – intra and intergenerational equity – across economic, social and environmental platforms at a regional, spatial level is a complex challenge for 21st century governance.
Regions are in turn complex political entities that are multi-dimensional in relation to geography, identity, natural, built and human assets and adaptability to relation to ‘wicked’ policy issues such as climate change, demographic change, biodiversity conservation, and infrastructure provision.

This research scholarship will focus on the construction of a regional governance framework for sustainability built on the three sustainability platforms: economic, social and environmental.
Regional governance for sustainability will explore the integration across and between these three platforms of significant sustainability issues and factors including:

• Regional planning
• Infrastructure provision – digital, transport, education and health
• Social Inclusion
• Biodiversity
• Productive landscapes
• Water management
• Estuary, river and catchment management
• Coastal and marine management
• Community engagement and capacity building

Regional Governance for Sustainability incorporates much of the contemporary literature on the assessment and measurement through indicators, monitoring and evaluation of progress towards sustainability.

This research scholarship will be attractive to students with degree backgrounds in public policy, geography and environmental studies, economics and business, architecture or planning and who are looking to establish professional and academic careers in this rapidly growing disciplinary area that is attracting much attention in academic, non-government organisation, private and public sectors.