There is a growing concern among scientists that many current ecosystem management institutions are too sectoral and expert-centered to cope with much needed transformations in ecosystem management. Scientists have already warned that crises spawned by human activity are outpacing the capacity of governments and institutions to deal with them, but ecosystem-management institutions are recognized as being in particular need of change.
- Understanding how current management practices can be transformed to more adaptive, integrated and collaborative approaches is critical, says centre researcher Oonsie Biggs.
Together with centre board member Frances Westley and Stephen Carpenter from University of Wisconsin, Biggs investigated case studies from Sweden, South Africa and the US where transformations in management approaches have occurred.
The study found that initiatives which foster environmental awareness, develop leadership capacity, promote dialogue between key stakeholders, and provide institutional support facilitate transformation of ecosystem-management approaches.
Ecosystems are living organisms
The call for a management shift is closely linked with the improved understanding of how ecosystems function. Gone are the days when ecosystems where considered to be machines that should be maintained in an ‘optimal´ state. Today, we have a different understanding of ecosystems which focuses on guiding ecological change along desirable trajectories.
- Ecosystems are best understood as complex systems that evolve and change in ways similar to living organisms, rather than as machines that can be controlled with buttons and levers, Biggs says.
Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that the nature of complex systems poses inherent limitations on our ability to understand, predict and control social-ecological systems. This in turn calls for more participatory approaches to management where those who have a stake in the ecosystem outcomes can participate in and contribute to decision making, and be prepared to adapt to unforeseen outcomes when those arise.
Three case studies, five common factors for innovation
Using a social innovation approach, Biggs and her co-authors have done a pilot assessment of factors that can help shift ecosystem management from sectoral and expert-centered to adaptive, integrated and collaborative approaches.
They used three local-level case studies involving transformations in freshwater management, the Kristianstad Vattenrike wetlands in southern Sweden; the Sabie River in eastern South Africa and the Yahara Lakes near Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- We were particularly interested in the whether or not common factors could be identified across the three case studies, Biggs says.
Based on their study, five key factors contributing to innovation and transformation across the case studies were identified:
- environmental crises that trigger changes
- a reframing of perspectives due to new ecological understanding
- engaging stakeholders that take part in the transformation
- social entrepreneurship that helps foster and manage social change in the community
- institutional support that support day-to-day operational activities through financial support, capacity building, management, planning and office space
The researchers´ analysis suggest that a critical challenge in ameliorating the emergence of environmental problems is the design of ecosystem-management institutions that remain innovative and adaptive over time.
- There is tremendous scope for social innovation to meet ongoing needs for adaptation, says Biggs.
About the case studies
