TY - JOUR

T1 - Scale Misfit in Ecosystem Service Governance as a Source of Environmental Conflict

AU - Gómez-Baggethun, Erik

AU - Kelemen, Eszter

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Palomo, Ignacio

AU - Montes, Carlos

PY - 2013/10/1

Y1 - 2013/10/1

N2 - We examine transformations in institutional regimes defining access to ecosystem services in Doñana, a rural region in southwestern Spain that is internationally recognized for its outstanding biocultural values. First, we review historical changes in rules, norms, and conventions defining access to ecosystem services. Second, we conduct a survey among local informants to assess the scales at which ecosystem services are supplied, demanded, and governed and discuss scale misfits in relation to historical conflicts over access to ecosystem services. We identify (1) two major periods of institutional change, characterized by conflicts between the central state and local users from enclosures of communal lands and associated restrictions in access to ecosystem services, and (2) a clash between customary governance institutions and new ones emerging with growing central state intervention and market integration. Our results suggest that multilevel governance regimes that promote coordination and institutional diversity across scales while respecting local sovereignty over ecosystem management are more likely to prevent environmental conflicts and to produce better outcomes regarding the long-term sustainable use of ecosystem services.

AB - We examine transformations in institutional regimes defining access to ecosystem services in Doñana, a rural region in southwestern Spain that is internationally recognized for its outstanding biocultural values. First, we review historical changes in rules, norms, and conventions defining access to ecosystem services. Second, we conduct a survey among local informants to assess the scales at which ecosystem services are supplied, demanded, and governed and discuss scale misfits in relation to historical conflicts over access to ecosystem services. We identify (1) two major periods of institutional change, characterized by conflicts between the central state and local users from enclosures of communal lands and associated restrictions in access to ecosystem services, and (2) a clash between customary governance institutions and new ones emerging with growing central state intervention and market integration. Our results suggest that multilevel governance regimes that promote coordination and institutional diversity across scales while respecting local sovereignty over ecosystem management are more likely to prevent environmental conflicts and to produce better outcomes regarding the long-term sustainable use of ecosystem services.

KW - communal lands

KW - Doñana

KW - enclosure

KW - environmental conflicts

KW - institutional diversity

KW - resource regimes

KW - scale misfit

KW - Spain

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84885026023&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/bcdb09ac-b255-3ed7-bbc3-7228d0a41ae8/

U2 - 10.1080/08941920.2013.820817

DO - 10.1080/08941920.2013.820817

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84885026023

VL - 26

SP - 1202

EP - 1216

JO - Society and Natural Resources

JF - Society and Natural Resources

SN - 0894-1920

IS - 10

ER -