Nurturing Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems Lessons Learned from Bridging Organizations
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Lisen Schultz Nurturing resilience in social-ecological systems Lessons learned from bridging organizations Lisen Schultz Nurturing resilience in social-ecological systems ISBN 978-91-7155-892-3 Department of Systems Ecology Doctoral Thesis in Natural Resource Management at Stockholm University, Sweden 2009 Nurturing resilience in social-ecological systems Lessons learned from bridging organizations Lisen Schultz ©Lisen Schultz, Stockholm 2009 ISBN 978-91-7155-892-3 Printed in Sweden by US-AB, Stockholm 2009 Distributor: Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University Cover: Ellen Schultz and Isaiah Sullivan To Pontus Abstract In an increasingly complex, rapidly changing world, the capacity to cope with, adapt to, and shape change is vital. This thesis investigates how natural resource management can be organized and practiced to nurture this capacity, referred to as resilience, in social-ecological systems. Based on case studies and large-N data sets from UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) and the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), it analyzes actors and social processes involved in adaptive co-management on the ground. Papers I and II use Kristianstads Vattenrike BR to analyze the roles of local stewards and bridging organizations. Here, local stewards, such as farmers, bird watchers and angler associations, provide on-site management, detailed, long-term monitoring, and local ecological knowledge, build public support for ecosystem management, and hold unique links to specialized networks that can be mobilized when needed. A bridging organization strengthens their initiatives. Building and drawing on multi-level networks, it gathers different types of ecological knowledge, builds moral, political, legal and financial support from various institutions and organizations, and identifies windows of opportunity for ecosystem management. Paper III synthesizes the MA community-based assessments and points to the importance of bridging organizations, leadership and vision, knowledge networks, institutions nested across scales, enabling policies, and high levels of motivation among actors for adaptive co-management. Paper IV explores learning processes catalyzed by bridging organizations in BRs. Seventy-nine of the 148 BRs analyzed bridge local and scientific knowledge in efforts to conserve biodiversity and foster sustainable development, provide platforms for mutual and collective learning, support knowledge generation through research, monitoring and experimentation, and frame information and education to target groups. Paper V draws on a global survey to test the effects of participation and adaptive co-management in BRs. Adaptive co- management, found in 46 BRs, is associated with higher levels of self- evaluated effectiveness in achieving developmental goals, but not at the expense of biodiversity conservation. Local participation seems to enhance support by local inhabitants, improve integration of conservation and development, and have a positive effect on fostering sustainable development. Participation of scientists increases the effectiveness in achieving ‘conventional’ conservation goals and policy-makers enhance the integration of conservation and development. The thesis concludes that adaptive collaboration and learning processes are central for nurturing resilience in social-ecological systems. Such processes often need to be catalyzed, supported and protected in order to survive, and therefore, bridging organizations play crucial roles in adaptive co-management. Key words: adaptive co-management, social-ecological resilience, local stewards, bridging organizations, learning, participation, Kristianstads Vattenrike, Biosphere Reserves, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management Reflections and thanks In 1989, I was thirteen. I lay sleepless at nights, filled with rage over the evilness and stupidity of my own species. Stories about the Chernobyl disaster, the ozone hole, massive seal deaths in the Baltic Sea, starvation of children in Ethiopia, and never ending wars, haunted me with questions about what it actually means to be human. Are we (am I?!) just a parasite on Earth that would better be eradicated as soon as possible? Or is it possible to be human and do good? After many nights in agony, my teenager mind gave me a way out that helped me live on as a human being. It said, that without humans, there would be no one to enjoy the beauty of life, and no one to give it meaning. We are the sense-makers of this planet. And if we have gotten the world into a mess, it is our duty to make things right again. I decided to try and help, and with that I went back to sleep. Little did I know, that in that same year, a municipality in Southern Sweden decided to support an initiative taken by a few individuals to restore a tiny part of the biosphere in collaboration with farmers, birdwatchers, school children and entrepreneurs. And little did I know, that 20 years later, I would again lay sleepless, this time over the defense of a doctoral thesis in natural resource management that would analyze this initiative. But here I am now, with this book finished. Needless to say, I have learned a lot during the course of my studies. But if there is one lesson that I will carry along, it is that people are part of nature, and that in general, they want to do good, to each other and to other living creatures. And even though I have found that many problems are more complex and serious than I first thought, I have also found that people are more complex and innovative than I had ever imagined. Before we dive into the thesis, there are some people that I would like to thank. Carl Folke, my supervisor, for providing the context and the very foundation of this thesis, for opening doors to so many worlds, and for being a wise friend. Klas Åmark, for always being there when I needed your insights and experience. Frances Westley, for teaching me and others about deep communication and what it means to lead. Per Olsson, I owe so many of my thoughts to you! Thanks for being such a generous, funny and talented friend. To my other co-authors Thomas Hahn, Christo Fabricius, Georgina Cundill, Cecilia Lundholm and Andreas Duit, many thanks for fun and productive collaboration. I could not have done the papers without you. The survey project involved many people that deserve a special thanks: Maricela de la Torre Castro, Miriam Huitric and Li Wang for translations, Thomas Elmqvist for opening the doors to the MAB program, and Ioan Fazey, who gave invaluable comments on the survey project during thoughtful conversations in Stockholm and Madrid. In the last minute of thesis writing, my colleagues Maricela (again), Stephan, Matilda, Charlotte and Per spent their leisure time to provide crucial input on the kappa. Thank you for making it so much better! Long-term room-mates Stephan (again) and Jacob, I could not have wished for more clever, warm-hearted and pleasant company. Thanks also to Henrik E for your warm support, Björn for your sharp questions and advice on statistical language, Jerker for helping out with last-minute improvements of figures, Elin for good company in the marsh of thesis writing, and to all my colleagues at Natural Resource Management for creating a friendly, supporting and creative work atmosphere. I also want to thank Louise and Fredrik at Albaeco and Christina Schaffer at the Stockholm Resilience Center for all the opportunities you have given me to interact with society, and for your endless energy in turning research into something useful. In fact, everyone at the Stockholm Resilience Center deserves special thanks for the efforts you put into the field of research that has shaped this thesis. Then, I do have some friends outside my workplace that I would like to mention… Johanna, Lina W, Nina, Niklas, Jakob, Emma, Pontus B., Lina E, Viktor and Mia – through ups and downs, you are all there, and I would not be me without you. And then I am lucky to have an enormous family. Gudrun, Christel, Tobbe, Idde, Irma, Linda, Ellen, Gustav and Agnes, with spouses and children, thanks for always keeping a safety net and a spring board ready. I love you. Special thanks to dad for intellectual coaching and mum for loving support, Ellen and Isaiah who self-organized and made the beautiful cover photo, Hans, who is a friendly devil’s advocate, and Eva, who is always there for our children, and who never forgets how to play. Finally: Pontus, love of my life. I am so proud of us! We can obviously do anything together. And enjoy it (well, most of the time). Thanks for never pitying me, but urging me to finish before summer. And thanks for making our life beautiful. My dearest children, Miranda, Elvira and little one. Thanks for coming to us. I will always be your mother, even when I am a doctor. I will always try to make this world a place where you can play and love and live safely. And if you ever lie sleepless at night over things you can’t solve, come to me and we will find a way together. Stockholm, May 2009 List of papers This thesis is based on the following papers, referred to by their Roman numerals. Papers I and II are reproduced with the kind permission of the copy right holders. I Schultz, L., C. Folke and P. Olsson. 2007. Enhancing ecosystem management through social-ecological inventories: Lessons from Kristianstads Vattenrike, Sweden. Environmental Conservation 34(2): 140–152. Cambridge University Press. II Hahn, T., L. Schultz, C, Folke and P. Olsson. 2008. Social networks as sources of resilience in social-ecological systems. In Norberg J and Cumming G (eds.) Complexity theory for a sustainable future, pp. 119–148. New York: Columbia University Press. III Fabricius, C., C. Folke, G. Cundill and L. Schultz. 2007. Powerless spectators, coping actors, and adaptive co-managers: a synthesis of the role of communities in ecosystem management. Ecology and Society 12(1): 29.