Environmental Policy and Governance最新文献

A growing number of studies apply the social-ecological systems (SES) framework with its standardized set of variables to examine place-based environmental governance. Yet, due to the wide diversity of social-ecological systems, a general theory about how variables interact—and systems can be governed—lacks empirical support. Despite many case studies, knowledge cumulation is hindered by data heterogeneity, and by the difficulties with synthesizing a large number of cases into middle-range theories, possibly understood as re-occurring patterns of the larger theoretical puzzle of environmental governance. Thus, this paper aims to cumulate knowledge by identifying repeating configurations of variables across 71 models from SES framework case studies using archetype analysis. We propose a building-blocks approach to identify eight archetypes, each characterized by a triad (presence of three variables), an explanation of this triad, and a qualitative characterization with cases which exemplify them. The triads relate to, for example: shared operational agency; small households in remote, inaccessible places; property and accountability; or formal investment conditions. We show how a relatively small set of triads can be combined in various ways to represent a larger diversity of SES, and illustrate this by re-visiting several cases. We argue that identifying these recurring archetypes advances the field because it allows scholars to focus their theorizing and empirical research around a known set of triads. More broadly, the paper contributes to advancing empirically supported claims about SES and environmental governance, new uses of the SES framework, and techniques for knowledge cumulation using archetype analysis.

Citizen juries are suggested as an effective tool for promoting just transition to low-carbon societies. However, citizen juries are influenced by participation rules, accepted discourses, and participants' perceptions about the need for climate policies. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand how citizens comprehend and deliberate justice in sustainability transition contexts. We analyzed two citizen juries conducted in Finland. One jury focused on the low-carbon transition in the transport sector, and the other on forest governance. We identified citizens' justice claims regarding the key aspects of justice (distributive, procedural, recognition, and restorative justice), supplemented by global, intergenerational, and ecological justice considerations. We analyzed how these claims developed during the deliberation. The transport jury emphasized distributive and recognition justice and increased awareness of diverse capacities and vulnerabilities related to the mobility transition. This jury also reinforced the participants' expectations regarding the legitimacy of certain nonsustainable lifestyles, such as private motoring. The forest jury emphasized procedural justice and forests as an intergenerational common good, but they also recognized forest owners' rights and legitimate claims for forest income. The juries demonstrate that citizen deliberation helps address justice concerns by revealing jurors' expectations regarding lifestyles and livelihood sources and proposing practical solutions. Our results suggest that citizen juries can enhance the formation of more informed and consistent, and thus legitimate, expectations.

International aid for biodiversity conservation is expected to provide alternative livelihoods for forest-dependent communities to offset restrictions on forest use. This aligns with the contemporary conservation discourse that promotes pro-poor, human rights-based, and sustainability principles. We used the Central Africa Forest Ecosystem Program (ECOFAC), the longest-running EU-funded initiative with nearly 200 million euros invested for about 30 years, as a case study to analyze how international aid, has attempted to achieve fair and sustainable conservation practices. Through a longitudinal study of the design of ECOFAC, we assessed its implementation arrangements, budget distribution, prioritized technical solutions, and target actors to identify to whom it has benefited the most (winners) and for whom it has not been beneficial or even harmful (losers). Our findings show that the EU biodiversity conservation program has prioritized the reinforcement of state administrations to strengthen their coercive power in protected areas. A co-dependency has developed between transnational actors, preferred by the EU as implementing partners, and state conservation actors. This relationship has become a barrier to meaningful reform within ECOFAC despite decades of policy learning. The pro-poor discourse and human rights concerns of the EU aid have not been reflected in the types of activities funded nor in the level of investments aimed at incentivizing forest-dependent communities to support conservation restrictions. EU policymakers need to pay more attention to how their interventions in biodiversity conservation policies create or reinforce power asymmetries and inequality, especially in Central Africa.

Research has shown that effective flood risk management is closely connected to land use governance, i.e., the land use system involving diverse, relevant stakeholders (e.g., landowners, public authorities, disaster management organisations) and their formal and informal land development practices. Our research scrutinises the often-observed enforcement gaps emerging when unauthorised encroachment in flood-prone areas occurs despite existing formal regulations on building activities. The study identifies factors that help explain these enforcement gaps in flood risk-sensitive land use governance by applying an institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework and a property rights perspective. Our empirical research focuses on Accra, Ghana, which has a long history of both regular and extreme flood events and is experiencing significant growth and high in-migration rates, leading to increased demand for land. This, paired with land litigation and limited security of tenure, has led to unplanned settlements and encroachments of flood-prone areas, thus heightening the local population's vulnerability—conditions typical of many similar cases in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research builds on analysing policy documents and interviews with diverse stakeholders related to flood risk management and land use governance in Accra. Applying qualitative content analysis, we identified explanatory factors in connection with the enforcement gaps, which include overlapping property rights, outpaced planning efforts, land conflicts, legal loopholes, authority mismatch, information gaps, political influence and selective enforcement, and socio-economic pressures.

Wildfires in Southern European Mediterranean regions, exacerbated by climatic conditions and human activity, pose significant threats to ecosystems and human well-being. Current fire management policies tend to prioritize fire exclusion, neglecting traditional land use practices and socio-ecological interactions underlying the human–fire relationship. Diverging from exclusion-dominated management paradigms is challenging due to entrenched beliefs and conflicting interests across local stakeholders. Developing effective fire management and characterizing the mechanisms driving wildfire frequency and severity requires understanding the interests of stakeholder groups, the historical and institutional context these emerged in, and their interactions with land use management practices. We examine the diverse narratives shaping fire management attitudes and policy in fire-prone regions at the urban–wildland interface with a long history of land use management conflict. We focus on Monreale, Sicily, a region characterized by frequent catastrophic wildfires. Employing a participatory approach with representatives of local authorities, government agencies, and civil society, we formalize diverse stakeholder perspectives on land use and fire management, revealing the socio-economic and political dimensions that contribute to deep-rooted conflicts. We provide insights into the role of local governance, social, and institutional complexities and highlight the need for cross-stakeholder collaboration to foster resilient and sustainable fire management.

City representatives actively share and seek knowledge, experiences, and solutions to address climate change challenges. This research investigates the question: What conditions explain engagement in city-to-city learning on climate change policy? To answer this, the study defines engagement as an active, directed approach of sharing and seeking policy information. It identifies 14 potential conditions influencing engagement, categorized into five broad areas: internal context, partner attributes, intercity relations, boundary spanners, and individual characteristics. Using a global survey and quantitative analyses, the study determines the most influential conditions. Findings highlight the importance of individual characteristics—particularly the frequency of working on climate change-related issues and the number of years an individual has worked for the city. Additionally, internal context, especially local pressures, plays a crucial role in shaping engagement in C2C learning.

Marine ecosystems are facing substantial stress due to global challenges that have escalated in magnitude and impact. The European Green Deal (EGD) can act as a driver of change and innovation in marine governance. There are multiple enabling and constraining conditions to orchestrate change and innovation, as it requires coordination of multiple governance levels and across different economic sectors. Drawing on established theory and concepts, this paper introduces a Multi-layered Collaborative Marine Governance (MLCMG) Model to evaluate change and innovation of marine governance arrangements. The MLCMG model integrates multiple components: (1) marine governance arrangements (comprising actors/coalitions, rules of the game, resources, and discourses); (2) the institutional setting and structural conditions affecting collaborative processes; (3) collaborative dynamics (comprising principled engagement, shared motivation, and capacity for joint action); (4) governance capabilities of state and non-state actors to attain societal goals; and it considers the role of e-governance to lever institutional arrangements, collaborative dynamics, and governance capabilities. Process performance refers to the ways that change and innovation came about, centering the decision-making abilities and social learning potential of the public and private actors active in marine governance arrangements. Productivity performance focuses on the cumulative results of change and innovation, namely outputs, outcomes, and impacts. Using the EGD vision as a normative reference point against which governance performance can be assessed, the model offers a framework that supports studies of governance change, innovation, and performance.

Literature highlights the importance of collaborative arrangements in implementing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to address climate change impacts, such as the urban heat island effect. However, very little is known about the design and implementation of such collaborative arrangements. We address this gap by analysing the NBS collaborative arrangements in two European cities, Ghent (Belgium) and Heerlen (the Netherlands). To do this, we apply the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance (IFCG), originally developed by Emerson, Nabatchi and Balogh to explore the contextual factors and drivers influencing the collaborative dynamics and their short- and long-term results. We address the following research questions: “What do collaborative arrangements for NBS in cities look like, and how do they function?” and “How useful is the IFCG for understanding NBS collaborative arrangements in cities?”. This article draws on desk research, document analysis of publicly available documentation and online data, and 17 qualitative interviews with city actors. The analysis reveals two types of collaborative arrangements: comprehensive city-wide collaborative arrangements and implementation-focused collaborative arrangements focusing on city neighbourhoods. While the IFCG captures key aspects such as network connectedness, leadership, financial resources and shared theory of action, the fragmented and evolving nature of urban NBS arrangements complicates its complete application. Based on our findings, we identify some areas for refinement. Overall, this article enhances collaborative governance theory by critically examining the IFCG and providing a deeper understanding of collaborative arrangements for NBS in urban settings.