Abstract
In an era where human activities are increasingly impacting social-ecological systems, the need for evidence-informed decision-making has never been more urgent. Effective knowledge exchange between scientists and decision-makers is crucial in this regard, however, achieving this in practice remains a significant challenge. Knowledge brokers are an increasingly-used approach for improving knowledge exchange in relation to environmental challenges, yet, the meaning of ‘knowledge broker’ remains elusive, and there is still much to know about their practices and impacts. In this talk, Dr Cvitanovic will draw on his own experiences of working as a knowledge broker, as well as high research on the topic, to examine the multifaceted roles of knowledge brokers within the environmental sector, with a focus on highlighting the often 'invisible' work they perform, which is essential yet frequently overlooked and undervalued. He will also explore how the concept of knowledge broker is evolving in other sectors, and the lessons we can learn for the environmental realm. In doing so he will highlight the indispensable role of knowledge brokers in bridging the gap between environmental science and policy, and articulate a research agenda for further supporting the implementation of knowledge brokers in practice.
About Dr Chris Cvitanovi
Dr Chris Cvitanovic is a transdisciplinary marine scientist working to improve the relationship between science, policy and practice to enable evidence-informed decision-making for sustainable ocean futures. In doing so Chris draws on almost ten years of experience working at the interface of science and policy for the Australian Government Department of Environment, and then as a Knowledge Broker in CSIROs Climate Adaptation Flagship. Chris has published broadly on topics relating to knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement and marine governance, with papers published in journals including Nature Climate Change, Nature Sustainability, Nature Communications, Nature Ecology and Evolution, and Global Environmental Change. He is also on the Editorial Boards for the journals Environmental Science and Policy, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries and Socio-Ecological Practice Research." https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/christopher-cvitanovic
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