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Government, Society, and Science in IWRM In South Africa31of sustainable development and reflects thefundamental inter-dependence between economicdevelopment, the natural environment, andpeople (World Commission on Environment andDevelopment 1987). Importantly, this approachrequires all segments of society to co-operate withina governance system that reflects their values,principles, aspirations, imperatives, and objectives(Folke et al. 2002). Significantly, this recognitionalso means that government, civil society—or thelay public—and scientists or technology providersmust co-operate closely and share a common visionof the future. This view provides strong supportfor the so-called “Trialogue” model of governancethat links government, civil society, and sciencein a set of partnerships, and that promotes closecollaboration and interactions between each ofthese sectors (Figure 2). In this view, particularemphasis is placed on the interfaces betweenthe three sectors and their contribution to goodgovernance.Here, it is important to recognize that whilethe “government” and “science” clusters in theTrialogue represent components of the broader“society” cluster, they also represent discretegroupings of individuals and institutions that mustperform specific actions on behalf of society. Inthis conceptual system, the “science” clusterrepresents technology providers that direct theirefforts to improve the quality of life in society andassist government to deliver on its mandates. Inturn, the “government” cluster represents thoseindividuals and institutions that have been selectedby society to provide leadership and direction onits behalf. In an ideal situation, the three clustersare inter-dependent and mutually supportive andtheir interactions are guided and underpinned byagreed sets of principles and values that combineto deliver good governance as a desirable outcome(Figure 2) (Ashton in press).In practice, the contextual components ofgovernance systems are often misunderstood, orit is assumed that everyone shares a common setof values, goals, and ideals. This is seldom truein reality, where people living within the samecommunity may differ widely in their abilities,views, and aspirations. Similarly, the effectivenessof governance systems can be hampered by thePublicGovernment– PublicInterfaceGoodGovernancePublic –ScienceInterfaceGovernmentGovernment–ScienceInterfaceScienceFigure 2. Conceptual diagram illustrating the linkages and interfaces between government, science, and the lay public,and their collective partnerships and contributions to “good governance” (modified from Ashton, in press).JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY WATER RESEARCH & EDUCATIONUCOWR