| 1. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Grön översiktsplanering i fjäll- och fjällnära landskap : Deltagande planering för en innovativ och hållbar översiktsplan för Vilhelmina kommun
- 2018
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Översiktsplaneringen i fjällkommunerna skulle kunna vara det självklara verktyget i arbetet med att uppnå miljökvalitetsmålet "Storslagen fjällmiljö". Kommunen har som lokal myndighet en central roll i hållbar utveckling och översiktsplaneringen ska, per definition, hantera markanvändningsfrågor i ett landskapsperspektiv. Detta sker dock inte i någon större utsträckning idag och därför finns ett stort behov av att utveckla bättre metoder och processer för att göra det kommunala planeringsverktyget mer nytänkande, kunskapsbaserat och förutseende.I Vilhelmina kommun har forskarna tillsammans med myndigheter, lokala aktörer och kommunmedborgare utvecklat metoder för att ta fram en grön översiktsplan. Översiktsplanen baseras på uthållig markanvändning och omfattar faktiska natur- och kulturvärden, såväl som nuvarande och framtida förutsättningar för strategisk planering för hur olika intressen kan samsas i fjällandskapet. I projektet analyseras möjligheter och hinder en process av detta slag möter, metoder för att uppnå ett ökat engagemang och en större lokal medverkan i planprocessen.Arbetet med den gröna översiktsplanen har resulterat i ett samrådsdokument som antagits av politikerna i Vilhelmina kommun. Rapporten redovisar en stegvis modell av planeringsprocessen som ska kunna ligga till grund för liknande processer även i andra fjällkommuner och/eller landsbygdskommuner med stora landskaps- och naturtillgångar. Exempel på lärdomar är att tidigt och kontinuerligt förankra det deltagande planeringsarbetet gentemot den lokala politiken och att deltagandeprocesser måste få ta tid.
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| 2. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Implementing collaborative planning in the swedish mountains : The case of Vilhelmina
- 2018
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In: WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. - Southampto : WIT Press. - 9781784662912 ; , s. 781-796, s. 781-795
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Critical appraisals have stressed the need for participation and social learning in spatial planning, and planning is now seen as a process of innovative collaboration by multiple actors. During such ‘collaborative planning’, various parties try to develop new inclusive strategies through dialog. Collaborative planning is a major strand of current planning theory and highlights the need for new methods that involve citizen participation. In Sweden, the realization of collaborative planning in practice remains elusive, and research on the subject is limited, so further studies are needed. Thus, in the project “Green planning: Vilhelmina as a testbed for innovative land use planning in the mountain region”, we tested and implemented methods for involving citizens and other land-use stakeholders in the process of developing Vilhelmina municipality’s comprehensive plan (MCP). This paper presents lessons learned from that process and data obtained from a set of focus groups, a workshop, surveys, and personal communication. From these activities in the Swedish mountain region, we learned that collaborative practices have both pros and cons that must be addressed for practical realization of the widely embraced ideal of collaborative planning.
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| 3. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Is large-scale wind power a problem, solution, or victim? A frame analysis of the debate in Swedish media
- 2022
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In: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 83
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Media content analysis was used with the aim of developing an understanding of how the debate on large-scale wind power has played out over time in Sweden, especially in relation to the enactment of national interest areas for wind power. Covering the period 1999 to 2019 and using NVivo for coding and analysis, we reviewed a total of 788 articles in both national and regional daily newspapers. To identify which actors are present in media and how they frame large-scale wind power, we conducted a frame analysis by applying three theoretical elements developed by previous media studies. The first is a diagnostic element used to pinpoint the cause to a problem, the second a prognostic element used to pinpoint the solution to a problem, and the third a motivating element used to identify the person(s) or object(s) suffering from the problem, that is, victim. Our results emphasize that wind power in recent years has been framed as a solution more often than a cause to a problem. One prevailing framing is the localization of large-scale wind power per se and conflicts with other land-uses and national interests. We also identify a tension between international and national policy objectives and local implementation of large-scale wind power. Governmental agencies are the most common framers over time, together with individuals (e.g. locals and second home owners) and wind entrepreneurs. Importantly, whereas politicians and wind entrepreneurs most often frame wind power as a solution, individuals frame it as a cause to a problem.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Eckerberg, Katarina, 1953-, et al.
(author)
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Incentives for collaborative governance : top-down and bottom-up initiatives in the Swedish mountain region
- 2015
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In: Mountain Research and Development Journal. - 0276-4741 .- 1994-7151. ; 35:3, s. 289-298
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Governance collaborations between public and private partners are increasingly used to promote sustainable mountain development, yet information is limited on their nature and precise extent. This article analyzes collaboration on environment and natural resource management in Swedish mountain communities to critically assess the kinds of issues these efforts address, how they evolve, who leads them, and what functional patterns they exhibit based on Margerum's (2008) typology of action, organizational, and policy collaboration. Based on official documents, interviews, and the records of 245 collaborative projects, we explore the role of the state, how perceptions of policy failure may inspire collaboration, and the opportunities that European Union funds have created. Bottom-up collaborations, most of which are relatively recent, usually have an action and sometimes an organizational function. Top-down collaborations, however, are usually organizational or policy oriented. Our findings suggest that top-down and bottom-up collaborations are complementary in situations with considerable conflict over time and where public policies have partly failed, such as for nature protection and reindeer grazing. In less contested areas, such as rural development, improving tracks and access, recreation, and fishing, there is more bottom-up, action-oriented collaboration. State support, especially in the form of funding, is central to explaining the emergence of bottom-up action collaboration. Our findings show that the state both initiates and coordinates policy networks and retains a great deal of power over the nature and functioning of collaborative governance. A practical consequence is that there is great overlap—aggravated by sectorized approaches—that creates a heavy workload for some regional partners.
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| 6. |
- Svensson, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Landscape approaches to sustainability : aspects of conflict, integration and synergy in national public land-use interests
- 2020
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In: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 12:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Strong land-use pressure challenges sustainable development and calls for landscape approaches that balance economic, ecological, and socio-cultural aspects and interests. In the boreal, sub-alpine, and alpine regions in Sweden, encompassing 32 million ha, many and different land-use interests overlap, which causes risks for conflict, but potentially also suggests integration and synergy opportunities. Based on geographic information system (GIS) analyses of geographically delineated national interests regulated in the Swedish Environmental Code, including, amongst others, Natura 2000, contiguous mountains, recreation, reindeer husbandry, and wind power, and based on forestry as a dominating land use, we found extensive overlap among similar but also between dissimilar types of interest. In some mountain municipalities, our results show that the designated national interest area is four times as large as the available terrestrial area. Moreover, the overlap is much higher in the alpine than in the boreal biome, and there is increasing designation for nature conservation and a decreasing designation for national interests for culture, recreation, and tourism from south to north. We interpret the results with reference to multiple-use needs and opportunities for landscape approaches to sustainable planning. Departing from biodiversity conservation values, we also discuss opportunities to focus planning strategies on assessing synergy, integration, and conflict based on nature-based and place-based land-use characteristics.
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| 7. |
- Thellbro, Camilla, et al.
(author)
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Readiness and planning for more wind power : municipalities as key actors implementing national strategies
- 2022
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In: Cleaner energy systems. - : Elsevier. - 2772-7831. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the global context of rapidly developing wind-power technology, local governments have to balance local interests with larger scale targets when implementing national and international strategies. An implication of a new Swedish national strategy for wind-power development is considerable intrusion into natural resource-rich northern landscapes, where municipalities already strive to manage diverse surface demanding and legally valued land-use interests. Municipalities will thus play a key role in wind-power development. Results of our survey suggest that most municipalities have functioning wind-power plans, linked to their municipal comprehensive planning (MCP). However, so far, relatively few wind-power farms have been established, and municipalities have rarely used their right to veto, suggesting that most have not yet experienced significant problems linked to wind-power development. The municipalities rely on their right to veto, and only a third highlighted planning as a tool for handling the increasing demand for wind-power developments. Legislative changes regarding the right to veto and the status of MCP could affect local self-government considerably. Wind-power development could have major consequences for local landscapes and governments, and a municipal-wide policy regarding future wind-power development and MCP as a mediating tool must be secured to balance local interests with national ambitions.
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| 8. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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EIP-Agri – lärdomar från första åren : Halvtidsrapport från den löpande lärande utvärderingen av EIP-Agri med fokus på dess införande och uppstart
- 2019
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- EIP-Agri är ett nytt innovationsstöd inom landsbygdsprogrammet med fokus på jordbruk, trädgårds- och rennäring. Två typer av stöd kan beviljas: stöd för att bilda en innovationsgrupp samt stöd till att genomföra ett innovationsprojekt (med full finansiering). Inom ramen för utvärderingen har främst rutiner, regler, roller med mera vid införandet av detta nya stöd undersökts, och olika typer av genomförandeproblem, samt hur de förebyggs och/eller undviks, analyserats.Gruppbildnings- och genomförandestödMöjligheten att söka gruppbildningsstöd är en stor styrka. Regeringen börse över om detta kan utökas/stärkas ytterligare i kommande programperiod. Genomförandestödet upplevs som krävande att söka och Jordbruksverket börta fram en specifik e-ansökan. Kraven bör sänkas något, för att t ex öka flexibiliteten kring budgeten. Förtydligade beslutskriterier bör göras mer tillgängliga. Innovationssupporten kan rikta mer stöd mot resurssvaga aktörer för att öka antalet som går vidare från grupp- till genomförandestöd. Sociala och organisatoriska innovationer är mycket få och borde uppmuntras i högre grad. Kopplingen till forskningsprojekt kan stärkas.Handläggningen av ansökningarEn majoritet av de sökande är övervägande missnöjda med ansökningsprocessen, då handläggningstiden är lång och kraven på ansökan höga med många kompletteringar. Sen utbetalning av medel upplevs också som ett hinder för många. Här måste fortsatta insatser till för att effektivisera och förkorta handläggningen internt på Jordbruksverket samt i relation till innovationssupportens rådgivning.Roller och samordningRollfördelningen mellan Jordbruksverkets handläggare, Rådgivande urvalskommittén och innovationssupporten har diskuterats internt och förtydligats allteftersom. Särskilt samordningen och erfarenhetsutbytet har stärkts. Tolkningen av begreppet innovation och beslutskriterier varierar fortsatt något, men samstämmigheten i vad som kommuniceras till sökande har gradvis förbättrats. Fortsatt kalibrering och interaktion är dock nödvändig.Koppling till andra innovationssatsningarBegränsad information om EIP-Agri har nått innovationskontoren. EIP-Agri bör kommuniceras via andra/kompletterande kanaler. Erfarenheter från andra liknande innovationsprogram bör också komma EIP-Agri till del för att utveckla möjliga synergier och säkra att innovationerna kommer ut på marknaden. Målgruppen för och syftet med EIP-Agri bör därmed förtydligas och kommuniceras mer strategiskt.Planerad effektutvärderingUnder 2019–2021 förväntas utvärderingen svara på frågor om programmetbidragit till relevanta innovationer i relation till målen. Nuvarande rapportering liksom de breda och otydliga målen samt kriterierna ger dock begränsade möjligheter att värdera dessa effekter. Utvecklade datasystem och förtydligade mål och kriterier krävs.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Participatory comprehensive planning to handle competing land-use priorities in the sparsely populated rural context
- 2021
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In: Journal of Rural Studies. - : Elsevier. - 0743-0167 .- 1873-1392. ; 88, s. 1-13
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rural areas supply the planet's natural resources while simultaneously harbor refuges for most of the world's remaining biodiversity and intact, resilient ecosystems. Since traditional extractive activities must increasingly co-exist with non-exploitative activities such as tourism and conservation, sustainable land use planning is essential for managing trade-offs between incompatible interests in rural areas. With "communicative planning" being promoted since decades, participation is considered crucial for reconciling different planning interests. However, the implementation of participation remains patchy and uneven, not least in sparsely populated regions with low capacity where participation could be a game-changer. Here, we consider municipal comprehensive planning as an existing arena to explore participatory planning approaches potentially capable of simultaneously managing competing land uses and promoting sustainable development in sparsely populated rural contexts. Collaborative work between researchers and public managers resulted in the co-development of an approach based on qualitative village- and interest-based focus groups that facilitated the formulation, negotiation, and legitimization of concrete and detailed local guidelines that prioritize between different land uses. Consequently, the resulting comprehensive plan draft was more readily adopted than the output of a traditional planning process. We found that citizens in sparsely populated municipalities seem willing to actively contribute to rural development processes if they have significant influence.
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| 11. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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When Public Officers Take the Lead in Collaborative Governance : To Confirm, Consult, Facilitate or Negotiate?
- 2018
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration. - 2001-7405 .- 2001-7413. ; 22:4, s. 21-44
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Governments are investing considerable time and resources in the field of collaborative governance as it proliferates throughout many sectors, and how public officers choose to respond to these developments therefore becomes an important question. The increased public involvement that collaborative governance brings is often more costly than traditional forms of governance, while the outcomes are highly uncertain. For these reasons, it is important that collaborative governance is only used when really warranted, and the various forms that it can take should be carefully designed. In this study, we apply a typology of collaboration strategies to examine firstly, the circumstances under which leading officers at four county administrative boards in the Swedish mountain region decide to lead collaboration, and secondly what collaboration strategies they then apply. This study is based on 20 interviews with key officers, and 39 interviews with project leaders of public-private collaborations in the area of natural resource management in the region. We find that officers should take trust levels into account when designing collaboration strategies, not least the lack of official trust. Strategies are found to be not mutually exclusive but complementary, and officers employ several at the same time. Interestingly, the results of this study show that – somewhat counter-intuitively – distrust is a driver for officers to initiate collaboration, a conclusion which questions the common view that more trust unequivocally translates into more participation.
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| 12. |
- Baker, Susan, 1954-, et al.
(author)
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Political science and ecological restoration
- 2014
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In: Environmental Politics. - London : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0964-4016 .- 1743-8934. ; 23:3, s. 509-524
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecological restoration has taken on a new significance in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. Despite its growing policy salience, however, the social and political sciences have paid limited attention to the study of ecological restoration policy and practice. By drawing upon the political science study of multilevel governance, institutions, power elations, and place-based politics, a flavour is given of what a political science engagement might contribute to the rich tapestry of analysis that has already been produced by other disciplines on ecological restoration. As the use of restoration grows, it is increasingly likely that it will give rise to social dispute and be brought into conflict with a variety of environmental, cultural, economic, and community interests. Restoration policy and projects encounter professional and institutional norms as well as place-specific interests and values. There is urgent need to investigate how and in what ways some interests become winners and others losers in these activities, and how this in turn can influence ecological restoration outcomes. A political science lens could help build new criteria for evaluating the success of ecological restoration, ones that combine both process- and product-driven considerations.
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| 13. |
- Beland Lindahl, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Competing pathways to sustainability? : Exploring conflicts over mine establishments in the Swedish mountain region
- 2018
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In: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 218, s. 402-415
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Natural resource (NR) exploitation often gives rise to conflict. While most actors intend to manage collectively used places and their NRs sustainably, they may disagree about what this entails. This article accordingly explores the origin of NR conflicts by analysing them in terms of competing pathways to sustainability. By comparing conflicts over mine establishments in three places in northern Sweden, we specifically explore the role of place-based perceptions and experiences.The results indicate that the investigated conflicts go far beyond the question of metals and mines. The differences between pathways supporting mine establishment and those opposing it refer to fundamental ideas about human nature relationships and sustainable development (SD). The study suggests that place-related parameters affect local interpretations of SD and mobilisation in ways that explain why resistance and conflict exist in some places but not others. A broader understanding of a particular conflict and its specific place-based trajectory may help uncover complex underlying reasons. However, our comparative analysis also demonstrates that mining conflicts in different places share certain characteristics. Consequently, a site-specific focus ought to be combined with attempts to compare, or map, conflicts at a larger scale to improve our understanding of when and how conflicts evolve. By addressing the underlying causes and origins of contestation, this study generates knowledge needed to address NR management conflicts effectively and legitimately.
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| 14. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Between protocol and reality : Swedish municipal comprehensive planning
- 2018
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In: European Planning Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0965-4313 .- 1469-5944. ; 26:1, s. 35-54
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spatial planning using a landscape approach has been recognized as being essential for reconciling ecological, cultural and socioeconomic dimensions in sustainable development (SuD). Although embraced as a concept, there is a lack of planning tools capable of incorporating multi-level, multifunctional and multi-sectoral perspectives, especially in a rural context. The departure point in this paper is the legal requirements for municipal comprehensive planning (MCP) in Sweden and an e-mail survey about incentives, stakeholder involvement, policy integration and implementation in MCP in all 15 Swedish mountain municipalities. The purpose of this explorative study is to examine whether MCP could be a tool in planning for SuD. Results indicate a general lack of resources and a low status of MCP that affect, and even limit, stakeholder involvement, policy integration and implementation. However, legal requirements for MCP are targeted at SuD, and municipal personnel responsible for planning appreciate the potential of MCP. Therefore, there is potential to develop the MCP into an effective landscape planning tool. To accomplish this, the status of an active planning process has to be raised, the mandate of the local planning agency has to be secured, and residents and land users have to be involved throughout the planning process.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Borgström, Sara, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Funding ecological restoration policy in practice : patterns of short-termism and regional biases
- 2016
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In: Land use policy. - : Elsevier. - 0264-8377 .- 1873-5754. ; 52, s. 439-453
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With continuous degradation of ecosystems combined with the recognition of human dependence on functioning ecosystems, global interest in ecological restoration (ER) has intensified. From being merely a nature conservation measure, it is today advanced as a way to improve ecosystem functions, mitigate biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as renew human–nature relationships. However, ER is a contested and diversified term used in research, policy and practice. Substantive public funding is allocated towards this end worldwide, but little is known about its concrete purpose and coverage, as well as what decides its allocation. With inspiration from environmental funding literature we analyze the case of Sweden to provide the first national overview of public ER funding. The understudied political context of ER is thus addressed but also regional variation in funding allocation. A database of all national government funding programs between 1995 and 2011 that included projects and sub-programs aiming at practical ER measures was created. Results show that ER activities counted for 11% (130 million USD) of the total government nature conservation funding. Water environments were highly prioritized, which can be explained by economic and recreational motives behind ER. The ER funding was unevenly distributed geographically, not related to either environmental need or population size, but rather to regional administrative capacity. It was also found to be small scale and short term, and hence part of a general trend of "project proliferation" of public administration which runs contrary to ecosystem based management. As ER is not yet a long-term investment in Sweden, commonly seen as an environmental lead state, we expect even less and more short-term ER funding in other countries.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Fauchald, Ole Kristian, et al.
(author)
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Internationalization of protected areas in Norway and Sweden : examining pathways of influence in similar countries
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2151-3732 .- 2151-3740. ; 10:3, s. 240-252
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examines differences in how international regimes for the establishment and management of protected areas have been implemented in Norway and Sweden. We focus on regulatory and normative pathways of international influence, which mirror the distinction between legal and non-legal regimes in international environmental law. Sweden and Norway have essentially responded similarly to the regulatory regimes that apply to both countries. The more normative regimes have influenced them in different ways – primarily by strengthening traditional nature conservation norms in Sweden, and norms about sustainable use by local communities in Norway. The findings indicate that the normative pathway is important mainly as a support for domestic policies that correspond to existing national norms and discourses, and they support the proposition that a high degree of regulatory hardness contributes to increase the level and consistency of implementation.
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| 20. |
- Fjellborg, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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What to do when the mining company comes to town? Mapping actions of anti-extraction movements in Sweden, 2009–2019
- 2022
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In: Resources policy. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4207 .- 1873-7641. ; 75
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research on the actions of anti-extraction movements has primarily comprised single-case studies in developing countries. Despite increasing mobilization and policy objectives to increase mineral extraction in the EU, we have little systematic knowledge of forms of resistance in a European setting. This paper exhaustively and comparatively maps anti-extraction movements in Sweden and investigates how movements' actions relate to their socio-political contexts. Sixteen place-specific movements are identified and studied using frame analysis and political process theory. The results suggest that anti-extraction movements occur across Sweden and that their socio-political contexts differ in access to indigenous rights institutions, project owner engagement, and support/opposition from host municipalities and national interest groups. The frame analysis indicates that movements share several goals, sometimes interpret similar contexts differently, and that differences in actions reflect differences in interpretations of contextual opportunities. Our results show that anti-extraction movements in Sweden involve diverse actors, including environmental interest groups, new networks mobilizing against extraction projects, indigenous Sami organizations, farmers' organizations, and landowners. Broad repertoires of actions, including civil disobedience, are used to influence the public, permitting processes, political actors at various scales, and project owners. Differences in socio-political contexts often align with movements’ interpretations of opportunities and relate with differences in action choices.
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| 21. |
- Hof, Anouschka, et al.
(author)
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Forest Restoration : Do Site Selection and Restoration Practices Follow Ecological Criteria? A Case Study in Sweden
- 2021
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In: Forests. - : MDPI. - 1999-4907. ; 12:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The speed with which restoration will, or can, be accomplished depends on the initial state and location of the sites. However, many factors can undermine the process of choosing sites that are deemed the best ecological choice for restoration. Little attention has been paid to whether site selection follows ecological criteria and how this may affect restoration success. We used habitat inventory data to investigate whether ecological criteria for site selection and restoration have been followed, focusing on restoration for the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos B.) in Sweden. In our study region, which is situated in an intensively managed forest landscape with dense and young stands dominated by two coniferous species, purely ecological criteria would entail that sites that are targeted for restoration would (1) initially be composed of older and more deciduous trees than the surrounding landscape, and (2) be at a scale relevant for the species. Furthermore, restoration should lead to sites becoming less dense and less dominated by coniferous trees after restoration, which we investigated as an assessment of restoration progress. To contextualize the results, we interviewed people involved in the restoration efforts on site. We show that although the first criterion for ecological site selection was largely met, the second was not. More research is needed to assess the motivations of actors taking part in restoration efforts, as well as how they interlink with public efforts. This would allow us to identify possible synergies that can benefit restoration efforts.
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| 22. |
- Holmgren, Lina, et al.
(author)
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Protected area governance in Sweden : new modes of governance or business as usual?
- 2017
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In: Local Environment. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1354-9839 .- 1469-6711. ; 22:1, s. 22-37
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores whether ambitions to open up the traditional Swedish model of top-down conservation methods to local influences are indicative of an actual transition in governance of Swedish national park policy (NPP), and examines whether such a shift entails an increase in local influence over local interests and needs. Methodologically, we analyse a combination of governance types and incorporate theoretical definitions of power and accountability. The establishment of new governance arrangements – where power is shared, interactions promoted and accountability is directed downwards – indicates that Sweden's NPP is undergoing a change in its mode of governance. This change also seems to include ceding some influence to local interests, and the possibility of combining conservation with the utilisation of certain natural resources. The results of our research also provide valuable insights into when the establishment of shared-governance arrangements are likely to succeed; in short, this seems more likely when there are established sectors sited in a robust legal framework and where strong international commitments potentially play a role. In conclusion, we contend that when seeking diversified governance arrangements it is not enough simply to take local practices and customs into consideration – they have to be strengthened.
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| 23. |
- Hongslo, Eirin, et al.
(author)
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Decentralization of Conservation Management in Norway and Sweden—Different Translations of an International Trend
- 2016
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In: Society & Natural Resources. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0894-1920 .- 1521-0723. ; 29:8, s. 998-1014
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- International policy trends are always transformed and translated to fit the political and administrative systems in which they are introduced. An international trend of decentralization has resulted in conservation management systems in Sweden and Norway that differ, both in the choice of institutional solution and in the scope of change. This is surprising, as conservation management in the two countries was originally very similar. Nature conservation was managed through hierarchical systems dominated by bureaucratic experts. While Sweden has introduced co-management in a few protected areas only, Norway has devolved powers in all large conservation areas to intermunicipal management boards. Through document studies, we investigate how decentralization interacts with the broader systems of political actors and institutions of which nature conservation is a part.
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| 24. |
- Hovik, Sissel, et al.
(author)
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Management of protected areas in Norway and Sweden : challenges in combining central governance and local participation
- 2010
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In: Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. - : Routledge. - 1523-908X .- 1522-7200. ; 12:2, s. 159-177
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neither Norway nor Sweden has fulfilled international commitments to the principles of direct public involvement in nature conservation, which involve (we believe) the state adopting an 'enabling' role, mobilizing governance resources to support decentralized decision-making while retaining powers to intervene when necessary to defend important minority interests or support international objectives. We analyse four attempts to establish nature conservation areas with substantial levels of direct public involvement in the two countries and argue that in each case, flaws in the setting of the areas' boundaries, the framework for participation and conflict resolution mechanisms have undermined public involvement. Hence, there is a need to design more effective, enabling rules to encourage local actor involvement in nature conservation and resolve any political issues that arise as a consequence of such involvement, before the international commitments can be fulfilled.
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| 25. |
- Johansson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Exploring prospects of deliberation in intractable natural resource management conflicts
- 2022
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In: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 315
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Deliberative processes are increasingly advocated as means to handle intractable natural resource management (NRM) conflicts. Research shows that disputing actors can deliberate and achieve higher degrees of mutual understanding and working agreements under ideal conditions, but the transferability of these findings to real-world intractable NRM conflicts can be questioned. This paper explores the possibilities of designing and realizing deliberation and its expected outcomes in real-world NRM conflicts. We used recommended design principles to set up deliberative processes in two intractable mining conflicts involving indigenous peoples in Northern Sweden and assessed the actors’ communication and outcomes using frame analysis.The results show that the recommended design principles are hard, but not impossible, to fully implement in intractable NRM conflicts. Both conflicts proved difficult to deliberate and resolve in the sense of reaching agreements. However, the findings suggest that deliberation, as well as meta-consensus, or structured disagreement, is possible to achieve in settings with favorable conditions, e.g. good and established inter-group relations prior to the conflict. In the absence of these conditions, where relations were hostile and shaped by historical and institutional injustices, deliberation was not achieved. In both cases, polarization among the participants remained, or increased, in spite of the deliberative activities. The study highlights the importance of understanding deliberation as embedded in place specific historical and institutional contexts which shape both process and outcomes in powerful ways. More efforts should focus on alternative, or complementary, ways to handle intractable NRM conflicts, including how contested experiences of history, institutions and Indigenous rights can be addressed.
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| 26. |
- Mancheva, Irina, 1982-
(author)
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Forest water governance : challenges in cross-sectoral and multi-level collaboration
- 2020
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Forests and water are highly interconnected with forestry practices negatively affecting forest water. In the last five decades, the Swedish state has enacted multiple policy changes and allocated significant resources towards the implementation of soft policy instruments to alleviate the effects on forest water. The European Union Water Framework Directive has further raised the legal requirements for water protection, including within the forest sector. However, these efforts have largely failed thus far. Forests and water are governed by two separate sectors, each with its own polycentric governance system and policy goals that are often conflicting. The governance mode of these systems is determined by a unique combination of policy instruments and a varying degree of centralisation depending on state involvement. Since governing forest water requires collaboration between the forest and water sector governance systems, it entails interplay between the two systems on different ecological scales. The aim of this thesis is to explore and explain the challenges related to the governance of a resource that requires cross-sectoral multi-level governance and to examine the role of the state in those interactions. The thesis includes a mix of quantitative (survey and aerial photographs) and qualitative (interviews, analysis of documents and meeting observations) research methods for investigating forest water governance across national, regional and local levels. Empirically, it involves four case studies analysing units embedded in the larger case – namely cross-sectoral governance of forest water.The results show that within the current structure of Swedish forest water governance there is minimal cross-sectoral collaboration, with an exception being at the national level. Regional and local implementation of the outputs produced at national level relies mainly on the forest sector, with little to no coordination with water sector institutions at the regional district or river basin levels. Moreover, power asymmetries between the two sectors are transposed to the collaborative process which affects participants’ capacity to influence the governance of forest water. Since the studied cases show that most of the financial resources for forest water protection are provided top-down, the role of the state in initiating and maintaining collaboration is crucial. The thesis confirms previous research findings that water governance requires a more centralised polycentric governance system. Combining polycentric governance (including at the river basin scale) with centralised state-coordination is a potential solution to problems that require cross-sectoral and multi-level governance interplay. Further inquiry into cross-sectoral governance of natural resources could develop a better understanding of how coordination in polycentric governance systems at different ecological scales could be structured to mitigate policy goal conflicts across sectors and institutional levels, thus fostering more effective governance.
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| 27. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, 1978-
(author)
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Commons protected for or from the people? : Co-management in the Swedish mountain region?
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Protected areas have so far been the primary means to conserve biodiversity, an increasingly important environmental issue, but proposals to establish protected areas are often met by local resistance due to fears that user rights will be severely restrained. Nature conservation traditionally aims to preserve an ideal state of nature, in which interference by people is minimized through a number of regulations, and where central authorities are in charge. Increasingly, however, conservation policy emphasizes participation. Protected area designations are about institutional change where customary and legal rights to use and manage certain resources are renegotiated. Protected areas can be considered as multi-use and multi-level commons that may benefit from co-management where the state cooperates with user groups, municipalities, research institutions and others. This thesis analyzes the establishment phase of the co-management of multi-level, multi-use commons in order to characterize design principles common to the emergence of co-management processes which improve institutional robustness. The thesis is based on a quantitative survey study and a small-n comparative case study. Paper I compares national, regional and local public opinions about protected areas through a multi-level survey. Papers II to IV each presents a case study of a designation process within the Swedish mountain region. The qualitative case studies are based on the structured, focused comparison method and employ within-case analysis and process-tracing. The material examined consisted of written documentation and 41 semi-structured interviews. The two studies contribute to commons theory; the focus on the establishment phase provides opportunities to acquire abundant information about how contextual and process factors influence the functioning of a co-management arrangement. Paper I suggests that national public opinion is an important contextual variable for natural resources of national interest, and shows that 65% of the Swedish population support local or co-management of protected areas. Papers II to IV reveal that the rigidity of the existing institutional framework is another important contextual variable that influences the degree of learning taking place. Further, the comparative analysis proposes that certain characteristics of a process (the co-management process principles) are essential for the realization of co-management arrangements of multi-level and multi-use commons. The principles are representation, reason(ableness), powers, accountability and learning.
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| 28. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, 1978-
(author)
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Conflict resolution mechanisms in co-management : the Laponia world heritage site
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- To accommodate changes in the environment and society, a diverse range of institutional tools is needed. One such tool is co-management, which is particularly relevant for management of the commons, but little is known about the socio-political processes (ideal and actual) involved in the emergence of co-management arrangements. Conflicts have been proposed as catalysts for the development of co-management and conflict resolution mechanisms have recognized importance, but they have not been intensively examined in the literature regarding commons. The aim of this paper is to analyze the processes that occur in the shift from policymaking to implementation during the emergence of co-management arrangements, in order to further understand institutional and policy change. The study was prompted partly by a perceived need to clarify concepts related to conflict resolution mechanisms. Hence, concepts in alternative dispute resolution theory and in the literature on commons and policy change are compared. A theoretical framework is then developed in which process models of collaboration are discussed in relation to learning orders. Finally, the process involved in the establishment of the Laponia World Heritage Site is examined, as both an illustration and an initial test of the relevance of the theoretical framework.
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| 29. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Defining ecological restoration policy in Sweden
- 2014
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In: Studying public policy. - Bristol/Chicago : Policy Press. - 9781447311072 ; , s. 149-166
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the next contribution Anna Zachrisson and Katarina Eckerberg explore aspects of complexity in the formulation process in an examination of ecological restoration policy (ER), using Sweden as an empirical illustration. In Sweden there is of yet no particular Act directing ER, but elements of ER are found in several Acts and Bills which are included in this analysis. Nevertheless, ER activities are already taking place, often as projects within the context of a public funding programme aiming at ecological sustainability or nature conservation (in agriculture, water environments, forests and so on).The analysis thus looks into the top-down element in policy formulation through taking departure in textual analyses of key policy documents, from the government and from the relevant central authorities. Evidence is also drawn from a data base that comprises Swedish central government-funded ER projects over the last ten year period. Specifically, it is analysed how the concept of ER is articulated and documented in government policy from the late 1980s until recently, and how the policy has been translated into implementation. This analysis comprises the policy objectives across levels, sectors and actors, as well as which policy instruments are emphasized and how they play out on the ground.A non-dogmatic perspective is adopted here that sees the policy stages as interlinked rather than necessarily following a chronological order. With the programmatic result of the policy as contrast to the articulated policy goals, we are thereby able to discuss the relationship between the formulation and the implementation of ER policy in Sweden, and draw conclusions that go beyond the formulated policy as such.
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| 30. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, 1978-
(author)
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Deliberative democracy and co-management of natural resources : snowmobile regulation in western Sweden
- 2010
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In: International Journal of the Commons. - : The International Association for the Study of Commons (IASC). - 1875-0281. ; 4:1, s. 273-292
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Deliberation is an understudied aspect of co-management institutions and common pool theory that can be improved by a closer connection to deliberative democratic theory. Analyses of co-management arrangements provide needed empirical insights to deliberative democratic theory, although such arrangements are group-based and not readily accepted as examples of deliberative democracy. A framework is developed to analyze to what degree co-management arrangements incorporate deliberative elements and how they contribute to improved decision-making. To test its usefulness, a case study of a co-management process in Sweden is analyzed. In Funäsdalsfjällen, a mountainous area of western Sweden, a conflict-ridden situation caused by expanded use of snowmobiles eventually led to the establishment of a municipal regulation area. Central and regional authorities initially failed to resolve the conflict, but when they started working directly with the municipality and relevant interest groups, agreement was reached. Deliberative elements are shown to have been central to the success of the co-management process, and it is concluded that co-management and deliberative democratic approaches cross-fertilize one another.
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| 31. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Extractive governance and mining conflicts: Challenging scalar hierarchies through ‘opening up’ to local sustainability pathways
- 2023
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In: Political Geography. - : Elsevier. - 0962-6298 .- 1873-5096. ; 105
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of new mines forefronts the contested nature of sustainable development. Various competing pathways of sustainability underlie mining-related conflicts, often reaching beyond the local scale of contested locations. While powerful actors tend to ‘close down’ around particular pathways, ‘opening-up’ through the consideration of multiple pathways might be necessary for addressing complex situations and conflicts. Whether closing-down or opening-up occurs depends on governance structures and actors' interventions, but little is known of the dynamics involved. This paper develops understudied spatial dimensions of protest by clarifying how political opportunity structures may play out differently at different scales and in consequence impact scalar strategies of both social movements and state actors. The study comparatively analyses three mine development processes in Arctic, peripheral Sweden facing socioeconomic challenges and where mining threatens indigenous reindeer husbandry. Formal interactions are mapped by data from administrative records, while informal strategies and underlying frames are assessed through interviews and focus groups. The study shows that when there is a multiplicity of government authorities and influential mining-sceptical allies at different scales, some subnational units ‘open-up’ in response to mining-sceptical actions. Such ‘opening-up’ may influence policy decisions at higher scales, even the international. Local participation therefore constitutes a way to challenge the scalar hierarchy of the state and promote a broader and more nuanced range of pathways to sustainability. As ‘opening-up’ is not legally required, the results between the different cases differed, and where the opportunity structures were ‘closed’ mining-sceptics turned to confrontation and litigation.
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| 32. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Political opportunity and mobilization : The evolution of a Swedish mining-sceptical movement
- 2019
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In: Resources policy. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4207 .- 1873-7641. ; 64
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As demand for minerals is expected to increase due to the energy transition needed to meet climate targets, mineral exploration will continue intensifying. Surveys find that public acceptance of the mining industry is low, particularly in the EU, suggesting that mining conflicts may increase in both number and intensity. Conflict usually occurs in places where a significant number of local actors mobilize resistance against a mining company. Their success is dependent on the emergence of a broader social movement that jumps to the relevant scale of regulation, often the national level. Despite this, very little attention is being paid to the emergence of such a movement, as well as to the state and its institutions, in studies on mining conflicts. Most research into mining conflicts examines developing countries, while mining resistance is an emerging issue also in developed nations, not least in the Arctic. Understanding mining resistance is important in avoiding or addressing conflicts that can be costly for companies, communities, and the state. This paper explores the relationship between state politics and mining resistance at the national level, drawing on social movement research and the concept of political opportunity structures. The results show that confrontational mining resistance will grow at the national level when the state offers little access nor influence to mining-sceptical actors in either policy formulation or implementation, and where there is a sufficient number of simultaneously ongoing contested licensing processes. In cases where indigenous people are involved, weak or contested indigenous rights may also spur resistance.
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| 33. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, 1978-
(author)
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The designation of Fulufjället National Park : efficient co-management through downward accountability?
- 2009
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In: Local Environment. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1354-9839 .- 1469-6711. ; 14:3, s. 259-271
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- International obligations in nature conservation policy demand for decentralisation and co-management. Co-management arrangements are increasingly seen as forms of governance, which opens up for the critique that accountability becomes blurred when public–private relations are characterised by informality and negotiations. The purpose of this article is to examine the issue of accountability by comparing comanagement theory and the decentralisation framework of Agrawal and Ribot, and by empirically analysing the designation of Fulufja¨llet National Park. This case constitutes a blueprint for Swedish efforts to adhere to the international obligations for decentralisation and is thus an example of their implementation.
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| 34. |
- Zachrisson, Anna, 1978-
(author)
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Who should manage protected areas in the Swedish mountain region? : A survey approach to co-management
- 2008
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In: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier B.V. , ScienceDirect. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 87:1, s. 154-164
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article investigates attitudes towards co-management of protected areas in Sweden, at the national, county and local level. In Sweden, protected areas are still primarily designated and managed hierarchically—a practice increasingly contested by people living close to them, including indigenous Sámi reindeer herders whose economic activities are located within protected areas. The general view could, on the contrary, be anticipated to be pro-state since protected areas are considered to be of national interest. For democratic reasons, however, the opinions of the whole population should be considered. In order to measure both local and general views, this study is based on a two-sample survey of 8868 respondents. The objectives are to map and explain attitudes regarding who should manage protected areas in Sweden, and to test the usefulness of a multi-level quantitative method. Such an approach is unusual in co-management literature that is empirically mainly based on local case studies. The explanatory ambition sets out to test three hypotheses drawn from common-pool resource theory; resource dependency, common understanding, and trust. Perhaps surprisingly, the results show that a considerable majority of the respondents (at all levels) wish to see self- or co-management. All three hypotheses are important to understand attitudes toward the management of protected areas, but not always in the way that the theory anticipates.
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