1. |
- Beery, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Disconnection from nature : Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations
- 2023
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In: People and Nature. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. - 2575-8314. ; 5:2, s. 470-488
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The human relationship with nature is a topic that has been explored throughout human history. More recently, the idea of connection to nature has merged as an important transdisciplinary field of study. Despite increased scholarly attention to connection to nature, the notion of disconnection from nature remains undertheorized and understudied. In this perspective article, we argue for a more comprehensive understanding of disconnection from nature to strengthen theories of human-nature relationships that goes beyond individual relationships and considers social and collective factors of disconnection, including institutional, socio-cultural and power dimensions. Drawing on case insights, we present the ‘wheel of disconnection’ to illustrate how disconnections from nature manifest across individual or societal meaning-making processes, thereby problematizing existing research that seeks to create dualisms between human positive and negative impacts on the environment in isolation from cultural or political contexts. We do not seek to discount research or important practical efforts to foster an individual's connection to nature by elevating disconnection. Instead, we hope that creating greater awareness and understanding of disconnection will be able to guide opportunities going forward for strengthening a connection to nature along a continuum from the individual to the social. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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2. |
- Beery, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Perceptions of the ecosystem services concept: Opportunities and challenges in the Swedish municipal context
- 2016
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416. ; 17, s. 123-130
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A current focus of ecosystem services (ES) implementation is on the municipal level of government where international and national legislation and policies have to be translated into practice. Given this focus, an understanding of perceptions within municipalities of the ES concept is crucial to support the implementation process. Against this background, this paper examines the perceptions of Swedish municipal stakeholders for the ES concept. A 2013 Swedish federal mandate that states that the values of ecosystem services should be considered in relevant decision-making processes, provides a timely context. Current perceptions, preconditions and awareness are explored via interviews and analyses. The results show that the views on the ecosystem services concept and its usefulness are generally very positive. Conceptual knowledge use is perceived as important as is the recognition of monetary valuation of ES. However, clarification of the distinction between implicit and explicit use of the concept by stakeholders is needed. Finally, results indicate that a deeper understanding of monetary valuation of ecosystem services by municipal staff members is connected with a more critical view on monetary valuation. It is concluded that detailed and clear definitions and guidelines are needed in order to support the process of implementing ES in municipalities.
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3. |
- Brink, Ebba, et al.
(author)
-
On the road to research municipalities : Analysing transdisciplinarity in municipal ecosystem services and adaptation planning
- 2018
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In: Sustainability Science. - : Springer. - 1862-4065 .- 1862-4057. ; 13:3, s. 765-784
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Transdisciplinary research and collaboration is widely acknowledged as a critical success factor for solution- oriented approaches that can tackle complex sustainability challenges, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate-related hazards. In this context, city governments’ engagement in transdisciplinarity is generally seen as a key condition for societal transformation towards sustainability. However, empirical evidence is rare. This paper presents a self-assessment of a joint research project on ecosystem services and climate adaptation planning (ECOSIMP) undertaken by four universities and seven Swedish municipalities. We apply a set of design principles and guiding questions for transdisciplinary sustainability projects and, on this basis, identify key aspects for supporting university–municipality collaboration. We show that: (1) selecting the number and type of project stakeholders requires more explicit consideration of the purpose of societal actors’ participation; (2) concrete, interim benefits for participating practitioners and organisations need to be continuously discussed; (3) promoting the ‘inter’, i.e., interdisciplinary and inter-city learning, can support transdisciplinarity and, ultimately, urban sustainability and long-term change. In this context, we found that design principles for transdisciplinarity have the potential to (4) mitigate project shortcomings, even when transdisciplinarity is not an explicit aim, and (5) address differences and allow new voices to be heard. We propose additional guiding questions to address shortcomings and inspire reflexivity in transdisciplinary projects.
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4. |
- Deak Sjöman, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Expectations of i-Tree Eco as a tool for urban tree management in Nordic cities
- 2024
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In: Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. - 2624-9634. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While urban forests are recognized as imperative toward climate adaptation in cities and provide health and recreational benefits to citizens, municipal tree officers often struggle to find successful governance arrangements and budget support toward long-lasting investment and implementation in new planting schemes and protection of existing trees. Since its release in 2006, i-Tree Eco has helped urban tree officers worldwide to find tangible leverage in the means of quantitative mapping, numeric measures, and economic values of ecosystem services. This may in turn help ease gridlocks and potentially support constructive dialogues across sectors, with decision-makers and public engagement. With the release of i-Tree Eco v. 6 in Europe 2018, 13 Nordic cities were engaged in a larger research project with ambitions to use i-Tree Eco for the purpose of retrieving numeric and monetary data of the biophysical structures and ecosystem services of the urban forest. Based on questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, we present the results from the Nordic i-Tree project with a focus on expectations, opportunities, and potential barriers experienced in using i-Tree Eco in urban forest management. The most prominent expectation and foreseeing opportunities were recognized toward using numeric information on trees to change policies and support cross-sectoral collaboration while reaching politicians and the public. Identified barriers involved how limited resources are spent on public outreach and how information about the project to relevant stakeholders were not distributed from the beginning which may have implications on the dissemination of results. As some important ecosystem services, e.g., cultural services, are not captured by i-Tree Eco, presenting the partial value of urban trees may pose also potential risks to cross-sectoral collaboration. Other findings conclude that although numeric information on ecosystem services is seen as beneficial in terms of communicating with different stakeholders, a deeper understanding toward the criteria used in the valuation process and the potential risks of numeric approaches may provide more context-specific applications.
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5. |
- Ekelund, Nils, et al.
(author)
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Trends in municipal and comprehensive planning (1980-2012) from an Ecosystem Services Perspective in Southern Sweden
- 2015
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In: Book abstracts Eight International Ecosystem Services Partnership Conference 2015, Ecosystem Services for Nature, People, and Prosperity, 9-13 November 2015 Stellenbosch, South Africa. ; , s. 103-103
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In Sweden a unique project supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is developed in close collaboration with seven coastal municipalities in Skåne. These municipalities face a range of different environmental challenges, from municipalities along the eastern coast line to municipalities in the western Öresund region. Research questions and approaches are built on case studies and scenarios to assess local municipality planning processes. The objective is to study the premises of implementing the use of the Ecosystem Service (ES) approach in municipal planning and decision making. This study presents a project component that focuses on the analysis of the comprehensive plans in the city of Malmö from 1980 to 2012. Interviews with staff from municipal departments were done as a complement to the collection of data from the comprehensive plans. The results show current trends in municipal and comprehensive planning from an ES perspective, i.e., the use of ES as a tool for sustainable development. The results further show that the ES concept was explicitly first found in the comprehensive plan from 2012. Implicitly, approaches for ecosystem services management and related planning changed from “land use”, “green areas” and “green space” (1980) towards “recreation” (1990) and “biological life cycle” and “biodiversity” (2000). This change indicates that the process in local municipality planning has shifted towards a more holistic view of the importance of ecosystems for a sustainable society and healthy life, which is currently further advanced via the ES concept.
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6. |
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7. |
- Himes, Austin, et al.
(author)
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Correction to: Why nature matters : A systematic review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values
- 2023
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 74:1, s. 25-43
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this article, we present results from a literature review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values of nature conducted for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, as part of the Methodological Assessment of the Diverse Values and Valuations of Nature. We identify the most frequently recurring meanings in the heterogeneous use of different value types and their association with worldviews and other key concepts. From frequent uses, we determine a core meaning for each value type, which is sufficiently inclusive to serve as an umbrella over different understandings in the literature and specific enough to help highlight its difference from the other types of values. Finally, we discuss convergences, overlapping areas, and fuzzy boundaries between different value types to facilitate dialogue, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the methods for valuation of nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem services, to inform policy and direct futureresearch.
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8. |
- Himes, Austin, et al.
(author)
-
Why nature matters : A systematic review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values
- 2024
-
In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 74:1, s. 25-43
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this article, we present results from a literature review of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values of nature conducted for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, as part of the Methodological Assessment of the Diverse Values and Valuations of Nature. We identify the most frequently recurring meanings in the heterogeneous use of different value types and their association with worldviews and other key concepts. From frequent uses, we determine a core meaning for each value type, which is sufficiently inclusive to serve as an umbrella over different understandings in the literature and specific enough to help highlight its difference from the other types of values. Finally, we discuss convergences, overlapping areas, and fuzzy boundaries between different value types to facilitate dialogue, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the methods for valuation of nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem services, to inform policy and direct future research.
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9. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, 1959-, et al.
(author)
-
Implementering av ekosystemtjänst-begreppet i kommunal verksamhet : slutrapport
- 2017
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Projektet ECOSIMP handlar om förutsättningen för att implementera begreppet ekosystemtjänst, i fortsättningen kallat EST-begreppet, i kommunerna, och undersöker bland annat hur kommunala tjänstemän och politiker ser på denna utmaning. En intervjustudie genomfördes med tjänstemän och politikeri de sju medverkande kommunerna. I en studie av Malmö stad undersöktes hur ekosystemtjänst-relaterade begrepp har integrerats i översiktsplaner ochutvecklats till ett verktyg i hållbar samhällsplanering. Ett annat delprojekt handlar om miljökonsekvens-bedömningar (MKB) och behovet av metodutveckling för att integrera ekosystemtjänstansatsen i MKB, där möjligheten att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den så kallade RIAM-metoden analyserades. Projektet innehåller också en analys av arbetet med att integrera ekosystemtjänsteri kommunernas klimatanpassning, så kallad ekosystembaserad klimatanpassning (EbA). Slutligen redovisas en analys av det transdisciplinära arbetssättet inom ECOSIMP-projektet. Resultaten visar att EST-begreppet idag är relativt välkänt i kommunerna och att det finns en övervägande positiv inställning till det och förhoppningar om att det ska skapa större möjlighet till miljöhänsyn. Förståelsen av begreppet behöver dock fördjupas i den kommunala verksamheten och distinktionen mellan implicit och explicit användning av EST-begreppet och den relaterade EST-ansatsen förtydligas. Ett antal hinder och möjligheter för att börja använda begreppet och för att uppnå etappmålet 2018 identifierades också. Bland annat upplevs innebörden av etappmålet 2018 som oklar, och bara en mindre del av de intervjuade i kommunerna ansåg att etappmålet skulle nås. Betydelsen av att politiker och allmänhet får kännedom om, och förståelse för, EST-begreppet betonades också. Malmö framstår som ett bra exempel på hur långsiktigt arbete för en hållbar stadsutveckling kan skapa förutsättningar att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den fysiska planeringen. Analysen av EbA i kommunerna visade att initiativ relaterade till klimatanpassning och ekosystemtjänster oftast inte är samordnade, men de skulle kunna utvecklas i den riktningen genom bättre samordning mellan kommunernas olika enheter och integrering av EbA i den långsiktiga planeringen utifrån kunskap om nutida och framtida klimatrisker. Verktyg för att värdera förändringar i EST till följd av mänsklig exploatering behövs och här föreslås en utveckling av den såkallade RIAM-metoden, som kan erbjuda ett sätt att väga in olika EST i planeringen. Den transdisciplinära analysen visar på värdet av nära samverkan mellan forskning och kommuner kring implementeringen av EST-ansatsen, men också på behovet av politiskt och ekonomiskt stöd för att frigöra tid för kommunerna att delta i sådana projekt.
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10. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(author)
-
Implementering av ekosystemtjänstbegreppet i kommunal verksamhet
- 2017
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Projektet ECOSIMP handlar om förutsättningen för att implementera begreppet ekosystemtjänst, i fortsättningen kallat EST-begreppet, i kommunerna, och undersöker bland annat hur kommunala tjänstemän och politiker ser på denna utmaning. En intervjustudie genomfördes med tjänstemän och politiker i de sju medverkande kommunerna. I en studie av Malmö stad undersöktes hur ekosystemtjänst-relaterade begrepp har integrerats i översiktsplaner och utvecklats till ett verktyg i hållbar samhällsplanering. Ett annat delprojekt handlar om miljökonsekvens-bedömningar (MKB) och behovet av metodutveckling för att integrera ekosystemtjänstansatsen i MKB, där möjligheten att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den så kallade RIAM-metoden analyserades. Projektet innehåller också en analys av arbetet med att integrera ekosystemtjänster i kommunernas klimatanpassning, så kallad ekosystembaserad klimatanpassning (EbA). Slutligen redovisas en analys av det transdisciplinära arbetssättet inom ECOSIMP-projektet. Resultaten visar att EST-begreppet idag är relativt välkänt i kommunerna och att det finns en övervägande positiv inställning till det och förhoppningar om att det ska skapa större möjlighet till miljöhänsyn. Förståelsen av begreppet behöver dock fördjupas i den kommunala verksamheten och distinktionen mellan implicit och explicit användning av EST-begreppet och den relaterade EST-ansatsen förtydligas. Ett antal hinder och möjligheter för att börja använda begreppet och för att uppnå etappmålet 2018 identifierades också. Bland annat upplevs innebörden av etappmålet 2018 som oklar, och bara en mindre del av de intervjuade i kommunerna ansåg att etappmålet skulle nås. Betydelsen av att politiker och allmänhet får kännedom om, och förståelse för, EST-begreppet betonades också. Malmö framstår som ett bra exempel på hur långsiktigt arbete för en hållbar stadsutveckling kan skapa förutsättningar att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den fysiska planeringen. Analysen av EbA i kommunerna visade att initiativ relaterade till klimatanpassning och ekosystemtjänster oftast inte är samordnade, men de skulle kunna utvecklas i den riktningen genom bättre samordning mellan kommunernas olika enheter och integrering av EbA i den långsiktiga planeringen utifrån kunskap om nutida och framtida klimatrisker. Verktyg för att värdera förändringar i EST till följd av mänsklig exploatering behövs och här föreslås en utveckling av den så kallade RIAM-metoden, som kan erbjuda ett sätt att väga in olika EST i planeringen. Den transdisciplinära analysen visar på värdet av nära samverkan mellan forskning och kommuner kring implementeringen av EST-ansatsen, men också på behovet av politiskt och ekonomiskt stöd för att frigöra tid för kommunerna att delta i sådana projekt.
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11. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, 1959-, et al.
(author)
-
Managing the transformation – : perspectives from human evolution and human behavioral ecology
- 2015
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Transforming the current society towards sustainability is a formidable task, requiring changes at many levels of society. Reductions in our use of natural resources and environmental impacts of human societies are necessary, while maintaining a progress in satisfying human well-being in a growing world population. Considerable efforts in developing low impact economy and technology will be needed to change societies towards more sustainable social-ecological systems. However, perhaps the most challenging aspect of this transformation is to manage the very roots of the problem: the human mind. Implicit in many, if not all, of the well-known causes of environmental degradation (e.g., externalities of businesses and individual behavior, tragedy of the unmanaged commons, conspicuous consumption) are a human mind originally evolved to maximize individual reproductive success within short-sighted perspectives and small social groups. We are therefore ill equipped to take responsibility for long-term global environmental problems. We argue that an understanding of human evolution and the functioning of the brain as an adaptive unit underlying human behavior will be necessary in order to create societal reorganization and incentives that successfully deal with the challenges of the Anthropocene. Cooperation and altruistic behavior are certainly part of the human repertoire but only if social contexts are arranged to support these behaviors. We believe that evolutionary approaches to human behavior can no longer be left out of the discussion on the environmental crisis, and in environmental policy, and that managing the transformation will also require applying evolutionary science to human behavior.
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12. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(author)
-
Managing the transformation – : perspectives from human evolution and human behavioral ecology
- 2015
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Transforming the current society towards sustainability is a formidable task, requiring changes at many levels of society. Reductions in our use of natural resources and environmental impacts of human societies are necessary, while maintaining a progress in satisfying human well-being in a growing world population. Considerable efforts in developing low impact economy and technology will be needed to change societies towards more sustainable social-ecological systems. However, perhaps the most challenging aspect of this transformation is to manage the very roots of the problem: the human mind. Implicit in many, if not all, of the well-known causes of environmental degradation (e.g., externalities of businesses and individual behavior, tragedy of the unmanaged commons, conspicuous consumption) are a human mind originally evolved to maximize individual reproductive success within short-sighted perspectives and small social groups. We are therefore ill equipped to take responsibility for long-term global environmental problems. We argue that an understanding of human evolution and the functioning of the brain as an adaptive unit underlying human behavior will be necessary in order to create societal reorganization and incentives that successfully deal with the challenges of the Anthropocene. Cooperation and altruistic behavior are certainly part of the human repertoire but only if social contexts are arranged to support these behaviors. We believe that evolutionary approaches to human behavior can no longer be left out of the discussion on the environmental crisis, and in environmental policy, and that managing the transformation will also require applying evolutionary science to human behavior.
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13. |
- Lindström, Lena, et al.
(author)
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The Core of Me Is That Which Observes : A Mixed-Methods Study of Trait-Level Sense of Self
- 2023
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In: Psychology of Consciousness: Theory Research, and Practice. - 2326-5523.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examines trait-level sense of self in 32 participants with varying meditation experience, with a special focus on the sense of self-boundaries and the sense of being a subject of experience, what is here referred to as perspectival ownership of experience. Results from qualitative and quantitative analyses of in-depth phenomenological interviews suggested a quadratic relation between self-boundaries and perspectival ownership of experience, so that participants with either a strong or weak sense of self-boundaries reported little or no sense of perspectival ownership of experience, while participants in the middle range mentioned a salient sense in their everyday life. This is in contrast to the expected linear relation between these two aspects of the sense of self. We additionally highlight issues with self-report measures of trait self-transcendence and recommend the use of an ungraded visual analogue scale as a quick and reliable measure of the sense of self-boundaries.
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14. |
- Rau, Anna-Lena, et al.
(author)
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Linking concepts of change and ecosystem services research: A systematic review
- 2018
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In: Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems. - : Portico. - 2300-3669. ; 4, s. 33-45
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Transformation, transition and regime shift are increasingly applied concepts in the academic literature to describe changes in society and the environment. Ecosystem services represent one framework that includes the implicit aim of supporting transformation towards a more sustainable system. Nevertheless, knowledge and systematic reviews on the use of these concepts within ecosystem services research are so far lacking. Therefore, we present a systematic literature review to analyse the interlinkages between these concepts and ecosystem services. Using a search string we identified 258 papers that we analysed based on 40 review criteria. Our results show that transformation was mentioned most often (197 articles), followed by transition (183 articles) and regime shifts (43 articles). Moreover, there is no consolidation of these concepts. Only 13% of all articles gave definitions for the three concepts. These definitions strongly overlapped in their use. Moreover, most papers described changes that happened in the past (73%). We conclude that research would benefit from being directed towards the future rather than evaluating what has happened in the past. Based on our results, we present: i) clear definitions for the three concepts; and ii) a framework highlighting the interlinkages between the ecosystem services cascade and the concepts of change.
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15. |
- Raymond, Christopher, et al.
(author)
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Mosaic governance A multi-method approach for engaging diverse groups in the planning of green spaces and meeting spots
- 2021
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of this synthesis fact sheet is to present a sustainable spatial planning framework for revitalising green spaces and meeting spots for social inclusion, biodiversity and well-being, including safety and security. We provide important insights for city planners about how new partnerships can be established between social entrepreneurs, NGOs, municipalities and marginalised groups, with a view to achieve social inclusion, biodiversity and well-being outcomes in green spaces and associated meeting spots. This work is supported by VIVAPLAN, an international research consortium funded by FORMAS, The Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development.
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16. |
- Schubert, Per, et al.
(author)
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Content analysis of ecosystem service concepts in comprehensive plans for Malmö municipality in southern Sweden
- 2015
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency a research project is developed in close collaboration with seven coastal municipalities in the county of Skåne in southern Sweden. Since the municipalities along the coastline face a range of environmental challenges, several case studies are aimed at understanding local municipality planning processes. The overall research objective is to understand the premises of implementing the Ecosystem Service (ES) approach in municipal planning and decision making. This case study examines to what extent ES concepts are accounted for in Malmö municipality comprehensive plans through a content analysis of ES concepts in the 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2012 plans. The ES concepts were categorized according to the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services. Preliminary results show that the “ecosystem service” concept itself is not used before the 2012 comprehensive plan. Quantitative analysis of the total number of different ES concepts used in the comprehensive plans shows a large increase from 1980 to 1990 and thereafter a gradual decrease to 2000 and 2012, where 2012 is lower than 1980. The introduction of the Swedish natural resources law in 1987 could explain the peaking number in 1990. If latter comprehensive plans build upon former, the concept usage can be interpreted as increasing from 1980 and forward. These results indicate a shift into using the ES approach in municipality planning processes. Qualitative analysis shows that there is a change in the ES concepts used, e.g. “land use” and “green areas” in 1980 and “biological life cycle” and “biodiversity” in 2000 indicates a shift in municipality planning processes towards a more holistic view of the importance of ecosystems for a sustainable society and healthy life. Although somewhat uncertain, these results could indicate an introduction of the ES approach in the Malmö municipality planning processes.
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17. |
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18. |
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19. |
- Schubert, Per, et al.
(author)
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Implementation of the ecosystem services approach in Swedish municipal planning
- 2018
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In: Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. - : Routledge. - 1523-908X .- 1522-7200. ; 20:3, s. 298-312
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While ecosystem-based planning approaches are increasingly promoted through international and national policies, municipalities are still struggling with translating them into practice. Against this background, this paper aims to increase the knowledge of current advances and possible ways to support the implementation of the ecosystem services (ES) approach at the municipal level. More specifically, we analyze how ES have been integrated into comprehensive planning within the municipality of Malmö in Sweden over the last 60 years, a declared forerunner in local environmental governance. Based on a content analysis of comprehensive plans over the period 1956–2014 and interviews with municipal stakeholders, this paper demonstrates how planning has shifted over time toward a more holistic view of ES and their significance for human well-being and urban sustainability. Both explicit and implicit applications of the ES concept were found in the analyzed comprehensive plans and associated programs and projects. Our study shows how these applications reflect international, national, and local policy changes, and indicates how municipalities can gradually integrate the ES approach into comprehensive planning and facilitate the transition from implicit to more explicit knowledge use.
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20. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna
(author)
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Assessing People’s Values of Nature: Where Is the Link to Sustainability Transformations?
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-701X. ; 9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The efforts to measure people’s current preferences and values of ecosystem services raise questions about the link to sustainability transformations. The importance of taking social and cultural values of nature into account is increasingly recognised within ecosystem services research and policy. This notion is informing the development and application of social (or socio-cultural) valuation methods that seek to assess and capture non-material social and cultural aspects of benefits of ecosystems in non-monetary terms. Here, ‘values’ refer to the products of descriptive scientific assessments of the links between human well-being and ecosystems. This precise use of the values term can be contrasted with normative modes of understanding values, as underlying beliefs and moral principles about what is good and right, which also influence science and institutions. While both perspectives on values are important for the biodiversity and ecosystem services agenda, values within this space have mainly been understood in relation to assessments and descriptive modes of values. Failing to acknowledge the distinction between descriptive and normative modes bypasses the potential mismatch between people’s current values and sustainability transformations. Refining methodologies to more accurately describe social values risks simply giving us a more detailed account of what we already know—people in general do not value nature enough. A central task for values studies is to explore why or how peoples’ mindsets might converge with sustainability goals, using methods that go beyond assessing current states to incorporate change and transformation.
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21. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna, et al.
(author)
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Evolutionary psychology and contemporary behavioural framework for environmental policy
- 2015
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the extent to which evolutionary psychology is applied in common behavioural frameworks that are used to explain, analyse and promote pro-environmental behaviour and inform environmental policy in the EU context. Such behavioural frameworks have been developed and analysed by for example the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Sustainable Practices Research Group.Methods: A review of documents was conducted that consisted of contemporary behavioural frameworks related to environmental behaviour as well as environmental policy documents within the EU. We also reviewed previous efforts to link the field of evolutionary psychology to pro-environmental behaviour.Results and Conclusions: The results show that contemporary behavioural frameworks for environmental policy lack an evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary-related behavioural theory is mentioned once, as ‘sexual signaling’ theory by the Ecologic Institute (2014). The behavioural theories informing contemporary frameworks and recommendations are predominantly drawing on the fields of social and cognitive psychology, behavioural economics and sociology. The current narrative on behaviour change is primarily focused on personal responsibility and choice, and how these are shaped by individual’s attitudes and values. We argue that an evolutionary consideration of behaviour could be beneficial when designing environmental policies that aim to take into account individuals mechanisms for motivation and behaviour. A combination of instruments that target innate psychological mechanisms could be used to promote pro-environmental behaviour and such instruments could aid policy-makers and environmental campaigners in developing strategies. The evolutionary perspective is to be regarded as a complementary framework for analysis of behavioural change and is not intended to replace the contemporary frameworks.
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22. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna, et al.
(author)
-
Evolutionary psychology and contemporary behavioural framework for environmental policy
- 2015
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the extent to which evolutionary psychology is applied in common behavioural frameworks that are used to explain, analyse and promote pro-environmental behaviour and inform environmental policy in the EU context. Such behavioural frameworks have been developed and analysed by for example the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Sustainable Practices Research Group. Methods: A review of documents was conducted that consisted of contemporary behavioural frameworks related to environmental behaviour as well as environmental policy documents within the EU. We also reviewed previous efforts to link the field of evolutionary psychology to pro-environmental behaviour. Results and Conclusions: The results show that contemporary behavioural frameworks for environmental policy lack an evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary-related behavioural theory is mentioned once, as ‘sexual signaling’ theory by the Ecologic Institute (2014). The behavioural theories informing contemporary frameworks and recommendations are predominantly drawing on the fields of social and cognitive psychology, behavioural economics and sociology. The current narrative on behaviour change is primarily focused on personal responsibility and choice, and how these are shaped by individual’s attitudes and values. We argue that an evolutionary consideration of behaviour could be beneficial when designing environmental policies that aim to take into account individuals mechanisms for motivation and behaviour. A combination of instruments that target innate psychological mechanisms could be used to promote pro-environmental behaviour and such instruments could aid policy-makers and environmental campaigners in developing strategies. The evolutionary perspective is to be regarded as a complementary framework for analysis of behavioural change and is not intended to replace the contemporary frameworks.
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23. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna
(author)
-
"Hope dies, action begins?" The role of hope for proactive sustainability engagement among university students
- 2022
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In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. - 1467-6370 .- 1758-6739. ; 23, s. 272-289
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Education in sustainability science is largely ignorant of the implications of the environmental crisis on inner dimensions, including mindsets, beliefs, values and worldviews. Increased awareness of the acuteness and severity of the environmental and climate crisis has caused a contemporary spread of hopelessness among younger generations. This calls for a better understanding of potential generative forces of hope in the face of climate change. This paper aims to uncover strategies for fostering constructive hope among students. Design/methodology/approach This study examines, through qualitative interviews, the characteristics of constructive hope amongst proactive students enrolled in university programs related to global environmental challenges. Constructive hope describes a form of hope leading to sustained emotional stability and proactive engagement through both individual and collective actions. Findings The findings are presented according to four characteristics of constructive hope: goal, pathway thinking, agency thinking and emotional reinforcement. This shows how students perceive the importance of: collaboratively constructing and empowering locally grounded objectives; reinforcing trust in the collective potential and external actors; raising students' perceived self-efficacy through practical applications; teaching different coping strategies related to the emotional consequences of education on students' well-being. Originality/value We outline practical recommendations for educational environments to encourage and develop constructive hope at multiple levels of university education, including structures, programs, courses and among students' interactions. We call for practitioners to connect theoretical learning and curriculum content with practice, provide space for emotional expressions, release the pressure from climate anxiety, and to foster a stronger sense of community among students.
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24. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna
(author)
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Polarised views of urban biodiversity and the role of socio-cultural valuation: Lessons from Cape Town
- 2021
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416. ; 47
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigates values and narratives of urban biodiversity in the highly culturally and biologically diverse city Cape Town, South Africa. Local expressions of values of biodiversity are explored, in the context of the challenge of accounting for diverse values of biodiversity through a green infrastructure approach. Based on interviews with practitioners involved in green space and biodiversity management I investigate: i) narratives around challenges of different values of biodiversity and green space for management and planning, and ii) the perceived potential of assessments of social values of biodiversity and ES in practice. Highly polarised views of nature and biodiversity exist within management and planning of urban nature within the city. This study shows the complexity of including and integrating highly diverse and contrasting meanings of urban nature and biodiversity for citizens and stakeholders in management and planning based on an ES and GI approach. Potential value-conflicts arise when applying a green infrastructure approach in places with high biodiversity values, where management is based on a traditional conservation perspective. Socio-cultural valuation can be useful in green infrastructure planning, but needs to go beyond a consideration of current preferences, consider informal engagements, and recognise the potential of urban green for citizen building.
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25. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna
(author)
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Reconnecting with nature through concepts : On the construction of values in the ecosystem services paradigm
- 2020
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The alarming rates of extinction and degrading ecosystems call for new means of understanding and accounting for how people depend on nature. Ecosystem services (ES) is a contested but widely applied concept aiming to connect ecosystem functions to human wellbeing and to assess and account for how nature matters in decision-making. More diverse frameworks and ideas of value intended for assessments are emerging to incorporate an array of disciplinary perspectives from the social sciences and humanities. This calls for closer examination of how human-nature relationships (HNR) are construed and captured. This thesis aims to critically examine and diversify the conceptualisations of value and human-nature relationships within the ecosystem services paradigm. In doing so, it follows the moving target of concepts intended for ES assessment of social value. By drawing on philosophy of science and qualitative methods in the social sciences, I examine theoretical foundations of ES concepts while also studying HNR and values empirically. Empirically, the thesis is based on fieldwork in Sweden, in Cape Town, South Africa, and in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In five papers, I investigate concepts or ‘arenas’ where values or benefits of nature are theoretically conceptualised and/or articulated by citizens and practitioners. Paper I is an analysis of existing critique of the ES concept and demonstrates how the idea of values used to describe human-nature relationships within ES has been influenced by economic theory. Paper II is an analysis of how Swedish focus group participants construct and perceive the values of their recreational experiences. The analysis highlights people’s emotional and self-evidential relationships with nature and thus shows a poor fit with the consequentialist framing of ES valuation. Paper III investigates what the concept of relational value (RV) adds to three fields and their value concepts: environmental ethics; ecosystem services valuation; and environmental psychology. It shows how RV solves methodological problems within ES valuation, due to narrow conceptualisations of intrinsic and instrumental value, and enables widely different interpretations of what relationality means for studying HNR. Paper IV is an empirical study based on interviews with civil servants and practitioners working with green space and biodiversity management in Cape Town. It shows diverse values and perceptions of biodiversity as a management challenge, emphasises the need for recognition of the importance of urban nature in green space planning, but also points to the limited usefulness of socio-cultural valuation in highly diverse cities. Paper V explores how the biocultural diversity framework can be an advancement over the ES to study HNR in cities in the global south, based on insights from fieldwork in Rio de Janeiro. It shows that BCD can be suitable to study HNR in highly culturally and biologically diverse cities but further theoretical and context-sensitive adaptations are required. As a whole, the thesis outlines theoretical and empirical challenges of including place-based and qualitative social science knowledge in the ES paradigm. It calls for a re-thinking of the focus within ES to go beyond concepts of value and descriptive modes of assessments, in order to create more inclusive and diverse conceptualisations of HNR.
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26. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna, et al.
(author)
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Recreational cultural ecosystem services : How do people describe the value?
- 2017
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416. ; 26, s. 1-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Different ways of viewing human-nature interactions affect the ways in which these are conceptualized and operationalized with regards to cultural ecosystem services (CES). To clarify if some conceptualizations provide more appropriate descriptions of benefits, these need to be discussed in relation to the lived experience. This paper addresses some aspects of the controversy around the use of the concept of CES and associated framing of ‘values’. Our aim is to understand potential distinctions between individuals’ expressions of values of their experiences and the language of value of ES. We use Swedish focus group material formed to understand how individuals perceive and express their values of the experiences of spending time in natural environments in their own words. We apply an interpretivist approach inspired by grounded theory and present our findings as the broader interpretative repertoire ‘axiomatic value’. The interpretative repertoire informed three discourses that participants describe as valuable in relation to experiences in nature: ‘indivisibility’, ‘incommensurability’, and ‘the goodness of perceived naturalness’. The latter comprised the underlying themes ‘nature as authentic’, ‘nature as healing’ and ‘nature as beauty, magic and movement’. We discuss implications for conceptualizations of value and question the appropriateness of the non-contextual and categorical language of ES.
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27. |
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28. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna
(author)
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Transformative research for sustainability: characteristics, tensions, and moving forward
- 2024
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In: Global Sustainability. - 2059-4798. ; 7
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Technical summary The question of how science can become a lever in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals permeates most recent sustainability research. Wide-ranging literature calling for a transformative approach has emerged in recent years. This 'transformative turn' is fueled by publications from fields such as sustainability science, social-ecological research, conservation science, sustainability transitions, or sustainability governance studies. However, there is a lack of a shared understanding specifically of what is meant for research to be transformative in this developing discourse around doing science differently to tackle sustainability problems. We aim to advance transformative research for sustainability. We define transformative research and outline six of its characteristics: (1) interventional nature and a theory of change focus; (2) collaborative modes of knowledge production, experimentation and learning; (3) systems thinking literacy and contextualization; (4) reflexivity, normative and inner dimensions; (5) local agency, decolonization, and reshaping power; (6) new quality criteria and rethinking impact. We highlight three tensions between transformative research and traditional paradigms of academic research: (1) process- and output-orientation; (2) accountability toward society and toward science; (3) methodologies rooted in scientific traditions and post-normal methodologies. We conclude with future directions on how academia could reconcile these tensions to support and promote transformative research.Non-technical summary Dominant ways of doing research are not enough to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The typical response of science to dealing with the current local and global sustainability crises is to produce and accumulate more knowledge. Transformative research seeks to couple knowledge production with co-creating change. This paper defines the transformative way of doing research to pro-actively support society's fight against pressing societal and environmental problems. We present six characteristics of transformative research. We reflect on the challenges related to implementing these characteristics in scientific practice and on how academia can play its part.Social media summary Sustainability transformation needs to be reflected in science, but what makes sustainability research transformative?
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29. |
- Stålhammar, Sanna, et al.
(author)
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‘Urban biocultural diversity’ as a framework for human–nature interactions: reflections from a Brazilian favela
- 2020
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In: Urban Ecosystems. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1083-8155 .- 1573-1642. ; 23:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biocultural diversity (BCD), denoting the ‘inextricable link’ between biological and cultural diversity, has traditionally highlighted the coevolution between highly biodiverse regions and the ethnic–linguistic diversity of indigenous communities. Recently, European researchers have relaunched BCD as a conceptual foundation for urban greenspace planning capable of overcoming challenges of the ecosystem services paradigm. However, the methodological foundation for this particular approach to ‘urban BCD’ is still in its infancy, obscuring preciselyhowthe framework is an advancement for studying different urban residents’ experience of and connectedness to nature and biodiversity. In this paper, we further develop the urban BCD concept by using the culturally and biologically diverse city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a ‘critical case’. First, we employ qualitative field methods to investigate manifestations of human–nature relationships in thefavela(informal settlement) of Rocinha and the neighbouring Tijuca Forest. Second, we reflect on how the urban BCD framework and methodology emphasise i) interrelationships, ii) varied group values and iii) participation, and iv) are sensitising and reflexive. Our findings challenge the ‘usual’ narrative aboutfavelasas places of environmental degradation and disaster risk, revealing BCD and nature connectedness that are as related to popular culture, fitness ideals and citizen-building, as to traditional livelihoods and spiritual beliefs. Departing from interrelationships, BCD can portray aspects that a narrow focus on ‘services’ and ‘disservices’ cannot, but attention should be paid to how operationalisation risks perpetuating ecosystem services thinking. Nevertheless, we identify promising avenues for its use in highly diverse cities with unequal access to natural areas.
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30. |
- Thorén, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Ecosystem services between integration and economics imperialism
- 2018
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In: Ecology and Society. - 1708-3087. ; 23:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Here, we explore the interdisciplinary merits of the ecosystem services concept by recruiting the notion of economics imperialism. We identify four different ways in which interdisciplinary concepts can fail as interdisciplinary concepts, three of which are associated with imperialism. First, interdisciplinary concepts can fail to be integrative, typically by being overtly flexible or vague. The remaining three ways, which typically mark imperialist infringements, are: failure to achieve ontological unification, failure to maintain or accommodate a plurality of accounts when it is suitable, and the obfuscation of social or ethical values. We analyze some of the critiques that have been raised with respect to the ecosystem services concept as a case of economics imperialism. We conclude by discussing the scope and limits of the concept more broadly and what those mean for an interdisciplinary ecosystem services science going forward.
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31. |
- Thorén, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Minskade utsläpp räcker inte för att rädda mångfalden
- 2019
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In: ETC. - 1652-8980.
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Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Klimatfrågan har under senare år rotat sig in i svenskens medvetande. Om detta vittnar nyord som ”klimatångest” och ”flygskam”. Det är på tiden. Men klimatförändringarna är inte den enda kris vi nu står inför och måste konfrontera.
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32. |
- Wamsler, Christine, et al.
(author)
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Environmental and climate policy integration: Targeted strategies for overcoming barriers to nature-based solutions and climate change adaptation
- 2020
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 247, s. 119-154
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nature-based adaptation planning is a challenging endeavor, not least because it requires transdisciplinary approaches to unite different actors' efforts and capacities. However, empirical knowledge on associated governance processes is scarce and fragmented. Against this background, this paper examines the integration of nature-based approaches for climate change adaptation into municipalities’ daily planning practices and associated governance. A city-to-city learning lab was established to systematically analyze selected urban development projects step-by-step, from the initial idea, to comprehensive and detailed planning, procurement, implementation, maintenance and follow-up. The results show the numerous constraints municipal staff face and how they use targeted strategies to overcome them and tap into existing drivers. We identify five, complementary strategies: i) targeted stakeholder collaboration; ii) strategic citizen involvement; iii) outsourcing; iv) the alteration of internal working structures; and v) concealed science–policy integration. Importantly, these strategies reveal an increasing need for relational approaches that, in turn, require individuals to develop the cognitive/emotional capacity to establish trust, communicate inclusively and promote social learning, while at the same time dealing with an increasingly complex and uncertain working environment. We conclude that tapping into the potential of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation governance requires more financial and human resources, and capacity development to support personal development, systematic mainstreaming and, ultimately, more sustainable development.
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33. |
- Wamsler, Christine, et al.
(author)
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Operationalizing ecosystem-based adaptation : harnessing ecosystem services to buffer communities against climate change
- 2016
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In: Ecology and Society. - : Resiliance Alliance. - 1708-3087. ; 31:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ABSTRACT. Ecosystem-based approaches for climate change adaptation are promoted at international, national, and local levels by both scholars and practitioners. However, local planning practices that support these approaches are scattered, and measures are neither systematically implemented nor comprehensively reviewed. Against this background, this paper advances the operationalization of ecosystem-based adaptation by improving our knowledge of how ecosystem-based approaches can be considered in local planning (operational governance level). We review current research on ecosystem services in urban areas and examine four Swedish coastal municipalities to identify the key characteristics of both implemented and planned measures that support ecosystem-based adaptation. The results show that many of the measures that have been implemented focus on biodiversity rather than climate change adaptation, which is an important factor in only around half of all measures. Furthermore, existing measures are limited in their focus regarding the ecological structures and the ecosystem services they support, and the hazards and risk factors they address. We conclude that a more comprehensive approach to sustainable ecosystem-based adaptation planning and its systematic mainstreaming is required. Our framework for the analysis of ecosystem-based adaptation measures proved to be useful in identifying how ecosystem-related matters are addressed in current practice and strategic planning, and in providing knowledge on how ecosystem-based adaptation can further be considered in urban planning practice. Such a systematic analysis framework can reveal the ecological structures, related ecosystem services, and risk-reducing approaches that are missing and why. This informs the discussion about why specific measures are not considered and provides pathways for alternate measures/designs, related operations, and policy processes at different scales that can foster sustainable adaptation and transformation in municipal governance and planning. Key Words: climate change adaptation; ecosystem management; ecosystem services; green infrastructure; municipal planning; naturebased solutions; renaturing cities; risk reduction; spatial planning; sustainability transitions; urban planning; urban resilience; urban transformation
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34. |
- Watz, Johan, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Atlantic salmon in regulated rivers: Understanding river management through the ecosystem services lens
- 2022
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In: Fish and Fisheries. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1467-2960 .- 1467-2979. ; 23:2, s. 478-491
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Known as the “king of fishes”, the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) is an iconic freshwater species whose contribution to human wellbeing has long been recognized, as have widespread declines in its abundance, partly due to river regulation. To understand how salmon conservation has been addressed within the ecosystem services (ES) framework, we synthesized the peer-reviewed literature on ES provided by salmon in regulated rivers. We developed a search string to capture allusions to provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ES and assessed the results to identify knowledge gaps. The effects of hydropower on fisheries catches and on modelled populations were shown is several publications. Overall, few studies focused explicitly on ES from salmon and hydropower; this is surprising given the considerable body of literature on salmon in regulated rivers. Wild salmon as a food source and other provisioning services are less important today than historically. Because predators such as salmon are important for facilitating biodiversity by cycling nutrients and controlling food webs, there is a scope of work for future assessments of these regulating and supporting services. Few papers explicitly addressed cultural ES, despite the salmon’s longstanding iconic status; this is a knowledge gap for future ES assessments in relation to hydropower. The influence of ES assessments for policy makers is growing through the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the post-2020 biodiversity strategy. Explicitly addressing ES poses an opportunity for river managers to raise awareness of aquatic conservation efforts and well-informed decision-making for sustaining ES.
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35. |
- West, Simon, et al.
(author)
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A relational turn for sustainability science? Relational thinking, leverage points and transformations
- 2020
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In: Ecosystems and People. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2639-5908 .- 2639-5916. ; 16:1, s. 304-325
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In sustainability science, revising the paradigms that separate humans from nature is considered a powerful ‘leverage point’ in pursuit of transformations. The coupled social-ecological and human-environment systems perspectives at the heart of sustainability science have, in many ways, enhanced recognition across academic, civil, policy and business spheres that humans and nature are inextricably connected. However, in retaining substantialist assumptions where ‘social’ and ‘ecological’ refer to different classes of entity that interact, coupled systems perspectives insist on the inextricability of humans and nature in theory, while requiring researchers to extricate them in practice – thus inadvertently reproducing the separation they seek to repair. Consequently, sustainability researchers are increasingly drawing on scholarship from the ‘relational turn’ in the humanities and the social sciences to propose a paradigm shift for sustainability science: away from focusing on interactions between entities, towards emphasizing continually unfolding processes and relations. Yet there remains widespread uncertainty about the origins, promises and challenges of using relational approaches. In this paper, we identify four themes in relational thinking – continually unfolding processes; embodied experience; reconstructing language and concepts; and ethics/practices of care – and highlight the ways in which these are being drawn on in sustainability science. We conclude by critically discussing how relational approaches might contribute to (i) a paradigm shift in sustainability science, and (ii) transformations towards sustainability. Relational approaches foster more dynamic, holistic accounts of human-nature connectedness; more situated and diverse knowledges for decision-making; and new domains and methods of intervention that nurture relationships in place and practice.
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36. |
- West, Simon, et al.
(author)
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Putting relational thinking to work in sustainability science–reply to Raymond et al.
- 2021
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In: Ecosystems and People. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2639-5908 .- 2639-5916. ; 17:1, s. 108-113
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We welcome Raymond et al.’s invitation to further discuss the ‘pragmatics’ of relational thinking in sustainability science. We clarify that relational approaches provide distinct theoretical and methodological resources that may be adopted on their own, or used to enrich other approaches, including systems research. We situate Raymond et al.’s characterization of relational thinking in a broader landscape of differing approaches to mobilizing ‘relationality’ in sustainability science. A key contribution of relational thinking in the process-relational, pragmatist and post-structural traditions is the focus on the generation and use of concepts. This focus is proving methodologically useful for sustainability scientists. We caution against viewing the generation of concepts purely in terms of ‘applying the knife’ to ‘divide components.’ Relational thinking offers alternatives more congruent with complexity: away from an ‘external’ actor cutting away at the world with an ‘either/or’ logic, towards an ‘immersed’ actor contributing generatively within it using a ‘both/and not only’ logic. The pragmatics of relational thinking will vary according to purposes. We describe two possible pathways for using relational thinking in research practice–(i) working forwards from relations, and (ii) working backwards from existing concepts–and discuss how relational thinking can contribute to complexity-oriented visions of ‘solutions-oriented sustainability science.’.
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