Scale Misfit in Ecosystem Service Governance as a Source of Environmental Conflict
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In: Society and Natural Resources, Vol. 26, No. 10, 01.10.2013, p. 1202-1216.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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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 -