Assessment of Natural Resources Use for Sustainable Development - DPSIR Framework For Case Studies in Kungälv (Gothenburg Peri-Urban Area) and Vellinge (Malmö Peri-Urban Area), Sweden

• Two coastal municipalities of Kungälv in the Gothenburg peri-urban area and of Vellinge in the Malmö peri-urban area were the focus of case studies to assess the sustainability of current use and future development of coastal natural resources using a DPSIR-based methodology. Coastal wetlands were selected for Kungälv and all coastal habitats for the Vellinge Case. The cases were selected as they present important and characteristic current coastal management problems. Both case study areas have (agri)cultural coastal landscapes, cultivated since prehistoric time, some 5000 years ago. Large cultural heritage values combined with high biodiversity values in numerous human shaped agricultural habitats still exist – not the least in coastal wetlands. However, due to urbanisation, expansion of infrastructure and changed agricultural policies, agriculture has significantly decreased after the 1950-60ies. In the 19th Century the coasts have also become important as recreational landscapes. In both areas, a transformation from mainly agriculture to horse keeping and other recreational activities (e.g. golf) is under way. Due to the Öresund Bridge connecting the cities of Malmö and Copenhagen and thus linking a megapolis area of some 2 million people the whole Malmö Region has experienced a fast economic development during the last decade increasing development pressure. Kungälv Area on the other hand, has remained a small town but well connected to the city of Gothenburg for commuters. Pressure for recreational and permanent housing exists also in Kungälv, but is less than in Vellinge. Due to the topographic, geological and oceanographic differences, the expected effects of climate change differ. The Vellinge Case includes a number of challenges related to a combination of effects from climate change and urbanization in the Malmö Region. In Kungälv such challenges are not apparent. The strong driver for serious pressure to the coastal wetlands in Kungälv Municipality is of international, global character and not possible to influence with national policies – the change in agricultural policies and globalized food market. However, national policies and incentives can make a change at local and regional scales, especially if authorities at local and regional levels and local stakeholders collaborate (farmers, horse keeping and other recreation enterprises). Such efforts will be important to work for urban-rural long-term sustainability. It is notable that climate change is not an urgent driver of threats against the coastal wetlands in Kungälv Municipality. Climate change adds new constraints and aspects to old problems. It aggravates present challenges of sustainable natural resource use in Vellinge Municipality. Seasonal residency intensifies the settlement pressure and recreational conflicts (second homes, new types of recreation). National level priorities include unresolved conflicts between different objectives. In order to deal with climate change in a coherent but regionally sensitive manner, there is a need for regional level forums to make national and local perspectives and problems meet in the region of Scania. Related local and larger scale issues need to be connected, such as with settlement structure and infrastructural planning, priorities between national-level interest claims, or coordinating the use of municipal territorial waters. The regional level responsibility for climate change co-ordination from a national perspective (by CABs) needs linking up with the political regional level (County Councils) and municipal decision-making (planning monopoly). In Sweden, the regional geographical and administrative level is institutionally complex but appears best suited to make different levels and perspective meet for this purpose. Applying a DPSIR-based framework for analysis helps systematizing information and identifying pressures, drivers and responses and can result in material useful for decision-making. At the same time the two highly different cases show the need for strict specification of the framework in terms of scales and elements of the ecosystem to be targeted in the analysis.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Social och ekonomisk geografi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Social and Economic Geography (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

DPSIR analysis

environmental conflicts

coastal management

urban and peri-urban development

coastal regions in Sweden

Municipal spatial planning

DPSIR

Natural resources

Climate change

Urban sprawl

Coastal wetlands

Cross-Level integration.

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