D.G. Webster

|Associate Professor

Academic Appointments

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies

D.G. Webster is an associate professor in the Environmental Studies Department at Dartmouth. Her research focuses on the precursors to governance, or the processes that social-ecological systems have to go through to be ready to design and implement effective environmental policies. She is author of two books, multiple peer reviewed articles, and a number of successful interdisciplinary research proposals. She also serves as editor of the journal Global Environmental Politics and contributes to her field through service to the Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association and the Ocean Taskforce of the Earth Systems Governance Project. She was awarded the Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship in Oceans Governance at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil for 2024-2025.

Dr. Webster's first book, Adaptive Governance: The Dynamics of Atlantic Tuna Management (2009) posited and tested her vulnerability response framework. It won the International Studies Association's Harold and Margaret Sprout Award in 2010. Her second book, Beyond the Tragedy in Global Fisheries (2015), explains the evolution of global fisheries governance through a responsive governance lens, showing how fisheries all over the world cycle through periods of effective and ineffective governance in what she calls the management treadmill. She is currently working on her third single-author book, Precursors to Governance: Reconciling the Environment and Social Justice and a multi-author graduate-level text titled The Governance Treadmill. Both books will extend her research on responsive governance to non-fisheries contexts.

In balance with her independent work, Dr. Webster actively pursues interdisciplinary research projects to develop new methods for understanding social ecological systems. The first of these, Fishscape: Modeling the Complex Dynamics of the Fishery for Tropical Tunas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, wrapped up successfully in the fall of 2016 (NSF CNH#1010280; Webster was lead-PI). The second, a SESYNC Pursuit project titled Subjective vs Objective Risk in the Provision of Aquatic Ecosystem Services, brought interdisciplinary scholars together to improve our understanding of water quality governance in Lakes Erie and Chaplain. It concluded in the spring of 2019. She is currently a PI on a third NSF-funded project, Modeling the dynamics of human and estuarine systems with regulatory feedbacks (CNH2-L # 2009248), which uses computational modeling to improve our understanding of water quality management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Her next big interdisciplinary project is the creation of an institutional diagnostics toolkit, as proposed in a paper on the panacea mindset that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2018. Information on other lab projects can be found here.

Dr. Webster teaches courses related to global environmental governance, green business, marine policy, and environmental economics. She earned her PhD from the University of Southern California's Political Economy and Public Policy program in 2005.

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Contact

D.G.Webster@dartmouth.edu

Fairchild, Room 104

HB 6182

Department(s)

Environmental Studies

Education

B.A. Connecticut College
M.A. University of Southern California
Ph.D. University of Southern California

Selected Publications

Books

Webster, D.G. 2015. Beyond the Tragedy: Evolution and Sustainability in Global Fisheries Governance. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. https://direct.mit.edu/glep/article/16/4/138/14873/Webster-D-G-2015-Beyo...

Webster, DG. 2009. Adaptive Governance: The Dynamics of Atlantic Fisheries Management. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 391 p.
Peer Reviewed Articles/Book Chapters

Bitterman, Patrick and D.G. Webster. 2024. The Collaborative Policy Modeling Paradox: Perceptions of Water Quality Modeling in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling, Special Issue: SES Modeling in Regulatory Contexts. 6: 18677. https://sesmo.org/article/view/18677.
Webster, D.G., Mark Axelrod, and Semra Aytur. 2023. Turbulence and transition to healthy governance. In Dauvergn, Peter and Leah Shipton, eds. Global Environmental Politics in a Turbulent Era. London: EE Publishing.
Gonçalves, Leandra R., Candace K. May, and D.G. Webster. 2022. The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: What is at Stake? Introduction to the Special Issue: Science for Ocean Sustainability. Earth System Governance Journal. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589811622000246

Akporiaye, Alero and D.G. Webster. 2022. Social License and CSR in Extractive Industries: A Failed Approach to Governance. Global Studies Quarterly. 2:3, 1-14 https://academic.oup.com/isagsq/article/2/3/ksac041/6705246
Young, Oran R., D.G. Webster*, Michael E. Cox, Jesper Raakjær, Lau Øfjord Blaxekjær, Níels Einarsson, Ross A. Virginia, James Acheson, Daniel Bromley, Emma Cardwell, Courtney Carothers, Einar Eythórsson, Richard B. Howarth, Svein Jentoft, Bonnie J. McCay, Fiona McCormack, Gail Osherenko, Evelyn Pinkerton, Rob J. vanGinkel, James A. Wilson, Louie Rivers, III, Robyn S. Wilson. 2019. Moving Beyond Panaceas in Fisheries Governance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115 (37): 9065-9073. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1716545115
Akporiaye, Alero and D.G. Webster. 2022. Power in Natural Resource Governance. In Jinnah, Sikinah, Jessie Dubreui, Jody Greene, and Samara Foster, eds. Teaching Environmental Politics and Justice: Deploying Insights from the Science of Teaching and Learning. London: Edward Elgar Publishers.
De Santo, E.M., Á. Ásgeirsdóttir, A. Barros-Platiau, F. Biermann, J. Dryzek, L.R.Gonçalves, R.E. Kim, E. Mendenhall, R. Mitchell, E. Nyman, M. Scobie, K. Sun. R. Tiller, D.G. Webster, O. Young. 2019. Protecting biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction: An earth system governance perspective. Earth System Governance [online]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2019.100029
Webster, D.G. and Tyler Pavlovich. 2019. Responsive Governance and Harmful Algal Blooms on Lake Erie: an ABM Approach. Complexity, Governance, and Networks. 5 (1): 24-64. http://dx.doi.org/10.20377/cgn-72
Tyler Pavlowich, Anne Kapuscinski, D.G. Webster. 2019. Navigating social-ecological trade-offs in small-scale fisheries management: an agent-based population model of stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) for a Caribbean coral reef fishery. Ecology and Society 24 (3):1. [online] URL:
https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol24/iss3/art1/
Lindley, Jade, Erika J. Techera, and D.G. Webster. 2019. Extreme human behaviours affecting marine resources and industries. In Erikca J. Techera and Gundula Winter, eds. Marine Extremes: Ocean Safety, Marine Health, and the Blue Economy. New York: Routledge. pp. 179-196
Webster, D.G., Semra A. Aytur, Mark Axelrod, Robyn S. Wilson, Joseph A. Hamm, Linda Sayed, Amber L. Pearson, Pedro Henrique Torres, Alero Akporiaye, and Oran Young. 2022. Learning from the Past: Pandemics and the Governance Treadmill. Sustainability 14: 3683. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063683
Axelrod, Mark, Meghan Vona, Julia Novak Colwell, Kafayat Fakoya, Shyam S. Salim, D.G. Webster, and Maricela de la Torre-Castro. 2022. Understanding gender intersectionality for more robust ocean science. Earth System Governance. 12: 100148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2022.100148
Webster, D.G., Leandra Gonçalves, Rakhyun E. Kim, and Jennifer Bailey. 2020. How power disconnects may affect the outcome of ongoing BBNJ negotiations. In Carina Costa Oliveira and Ana Flavia Barros Platiau, eds. Conservation of Living Resources in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. BBNJ and Antarctica Negotiations. Lumrn Juris: Rio de Janeiro.
Gonçalves, Leandra R., D.G. Webster, Oran Young, Marcus Polette, and Alexander Turra. 2020. The Brazilian Blue Amazon under threat: Why has the oil spill continued for so long? Ambiente & Sociedade 23, 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc20200077vu2020L5ID
De Santo, E.M., Á. Ásgeirsdóttir, A. Barros-Platiau, F. Biermann, J. Dryzek, L.R.Gonçalves, R.E. Kim, E. Mendenhall, R. Mitchell, E. Nyman, M. Scobie, K. Sun. R. Tiller, D.G. Webster, O. Young. 2019. Protecting biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction: An earth system governance perspective. Earth System Governance [online]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2019.100029
Lindley, Jade, Erika J. Techera, and D.G. Webster. 2019. Extreme human behaviours affecting marine resources and industries. In Erikca J. Techera and Gundula Winter, eds. Marine Extremes: Ocean Safety, Marine Health, and the Blue Economy. New York: Routledge. pp. 179-196
Pavlovich, Tyler, D.G. Webster, and Anne Kapucinski. 2018. Leveraging sex change in parrotfish to manage fished populations. Elementa. 6: 63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.318
Webster, D.G. 2017. Scape Goats, Silver Bullets, and Other Pitfalls in the Path to Sustainability. In special feature, Envisioning Sustainable Transitions. Elementa: Sustainability Traditions 5 (7): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.212
Sun, Chin-Hwa Jenny, Fu-Sung Chiang, Patrice Guillotreau, Dale Squires, D.G. Webster, and Matt Owens. 2017. Fewer Fish for Higher Profits? Price Response and Economic Incentives in Global Tuna Fisheries Management. Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 66: 749-764. (published on-line in September 2015)

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Speaking Engagements

Webster, D.G. 2024. Plenary Panel Discussion: Advances in Coupled Natural and Human Systems Research, Understanding and Applications. Invited Panelist. Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. June 9-12, Annapolis, MD.
Webster, D.G. 2024. Media Representations of Risks and and Co-benefits of Water Quality Governance in the Chesapeake Watershed. Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. June 9-12, Annapolis, MD.
Webster, D.G. 2024. The High Seas Treaty. Guest Lecture, Great Decisions Seminar, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Dartmouth College, May 21.
Webster, D.G. 2024. Nutrient Management in the Chesapeake Watershed: Challenges and Opportunities. Invited Talk. Environmental Studies Seminar Series, University of California, Santa Cruz. April 8.
Webster, D.G. 2024. Roundtable: Blue carbon, blue justice, and blue extraction: The politics and contradictions of deep sea mining. Panelist. International Studies Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 3-7.

Works In Progress

Webster, D.G. Precursors to Governance: Reconciling the Environment and Social Justice. (book project)
Gonçalves, Leandra R., D.G. Webster, Natalia M. Grilli, Carla I. Elliff, Vitoria M. Scrich, Giovanna S. R. Lopes, and Alexander Turra. In press. Against the clock to address plastic pollution: critical challenges to elaborate a comprehensive and ambitious Plastics Treaty. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics.

Selected Works & Activities

Editorial Service

Global Environmental Politics: Editor (2022-date), Associate Editor (2016-2022), Editorial Board (2013-2016)

Environmental Politics: Editorial Board (2021-date)

Earth Systems Governance Journal: Editorial Board (2021-date)

Guest Editor:

2021-2022 Special Feature: Science for Ocean Sustainability. Earth Systems Governance. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/earth-system-governance/special-is...

2015-2018 Special feature Envisioning Sustainable Transitions. Elementa: Sustainability Traditions https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/collection/246/Special-Feature-Envis...

2013-2015 Special Issue International Fisheries: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association

Chair (2013-2015, 2022-23)

Program Chair (2011-2013)

Execuitve Committee (2016-2018)

International Activities

2024-2025 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Oceans Governance, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Contributor: International Science Council. 2023. Policy Brief: Global Sea-Level Rise. Prepared for the UN https://council.science/publications/policy-brief-global-sea-level-rise/

Panelist: UN Oceans Conference, 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

Earth Systems Governance Project

2021-date Member of the Scientific Steering Committee

2017-date Lead Research Fellow, Co-Lead Oceans Taskforce (http://www.earthsystemgovernance.net/oceans/?page_id=95)

2017-date Senior Research Fellow

2016-2017 Research Fellow

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