ABSTRACT
The proliferation of environmental problems and threats to both the conservation and management of natural resources and human well-being continues to challenge governments and communities, and despite unprecedented levels of mobilization, environmental degradation and poverty persist. We analyze the many factors that make environmental problems particularly complex as compared to other public policy issues, and point to the importance of scientific knowledge in the process of public policy making. We highlight not only the outlining models that seek to understand what mechanisms and institutional arrangements are most successful in helping governments to prepare and respond to environmental challenges but also the complex and at times uncomfortable connection between science and policy. We conclude with a discussion of emerging and alternative models of the science-policy intersection, focusing on the potential of co-production of knowledge and decision making to increase the usability of scientific knowledge among stakeholders.
