PhD Scholar

Applying justice frameworks to environmental decision-making

E-mail: Catherine.Gross@anu.edu.au

Perceptions and beliefs about sharing, fairness and a just social order have been discussed for millennia. Yet still the allocation and sharing of natural resources remains a societal problem. In both theory and practice, these topics can generate intense debate, from the breakfast table to the boardroom. Conflicts and disagreements within communities and between stakeholders and decision-makers have become commonplace where decisions concerning natural resources such as wind-power or water are made. At the heart of these conflicts are complex problems involving issues of equity and justice. Although there is a substantial body of research and theory on justice much of this has been abstract or external to a social context. The lack of contextually applied justice research is recognized as a significant gap in environmental resource allocation research.

The aim of my PhD is to find out how people interpret and react to perceived fairness, or the lack of fairness, in natural resource decision-making. An important objective will be to create practical tools and guidelines for use by natural resource management practitioners. The research is primarily concerned with decision-making regarding water allocation and use.