Adaptive governance and ecological restoration: lessons from three Australian regulatory frameworks

Abstract Introduction Ecological restoration has gained significant international traction as a response to biodiversity loss and climate change across the globe. Regulation can be a key factor in facilitating ecological restoration and the successful recovery of ecosystems; however, regulation for ecological restoration is still emerging at both national and international levels. Objectives This paper examines the adoption of adaptive governance in three case studies of ecological restoration regulation from Australia to investigate the adoption of adaptive governance within regulatory frameworks and what can be done to improve adaptive governance adoption in ecological restoration regulation. Methods Data from in‐depth interviews with 34 ecological restoration experts from across three Australian jurisdictions forms the basis of a comparative case study that compares adaptive governance characteristics across three case studies of ecological restoration regulation. Results This research found that adaptive governance is minimally reflected in the case studies and makes recommendations for its further incorporation in the regulatory frameworks. Conclusions This research suggests that the adoption of adaptive governance is important but so too is ensuring strong regulatory standards for ecosystem recovery, as well as appropriate funding, monitoring, and enforcement where relevant.