How do environmental governance processes shape evaluation of outcomes by stakeholders? A causal pathways approach

Abstract

Multi-stakeholder environmental management and governance processes are essential to realize social and ecological outcomes. Participation, collaboration, and learning are emphasized in these processes; to gain insights into how they influence stakeholders’ evaluations of outcomes in relation to management and governance interventions we use a path analysis approach to examine their relationships in individuals in four UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. We confirm a model showing that participation in more activities leads to greater ratings of process, and in turn, better evaluations of outcomes. We show the effects of participation in activities on evaluation of outcomes appear to be driven by learning more than collaboration. Original insights are offered as to how the evaluations of outcomes by stakeholders are shaped by their participation in activities and their experiences in management and governance processes. Understanding stakeholder perceptions about the processes in which they are involved and their evaluation of outcomes is imperative, and influences current and future levels of engagement. As such, the evaluation of outcomes themselves are an important tangible product from initiatives. Our research contributes to a future research agenda aimed at better understanding these pathways and their implications for engagement in stewardship and ultimately social and ecological outcomes, and to developing recommendations for practitioners engaged in environmental management and governance.

Environmental governance in an increasingly complex world: Reflections on transdisciplinary collaborations for knowledge coproduction and learning

“…Environmental governance is generally understood as the process where different actors work together to cope with and try solve environmental issues at different scales, including the design and creation of conditions for institutions, structures, and suitable decision making processes (Bennett & Satterfield, ; Bodin, ; Brondizio, Ostrom, & Young, ; Plummer et al, ). The fast‐growing and dynamic field of academic inquiry on environmental governance analyses a range of issues, including how to adapt and respond to environmental risk and resource scarcity.…”

“…Collaborations of this type—where scientists engage with stakeholders to ensure that research adequately reflects the context, needs, and perspectives of multiple groups, especially those who will eventually apply the knowledge—are referred to as transdisciplinary. Many scholars are exploring the potential of such collaborations in terms of learning and knowledge coproduction (Plummer et al, ; Rodela, ; Tengö et al, ). However, although a lot has been written about learning and knowledge coproduction, important knowledge gaps are evident when it comes to transdisciplinary collaborations for environmental governance.…”

Understanding the Knowledge and Data Landscape of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in the Chesapeake Bay Region: A Systematic Review

“…In this respect, we believe that the climate change adaptation community may benefit from knowledge in sustainability science, which overlap in their efforts to understand co-creation of knowledge through transdisciplinary methods [97,98]. Moreover, a trend on perception-based research suggests that climate change adaptation performance may be measured, to some extent, by soliciting perceptions of stakeholders about the process and outcomes of collaborative decision-making [99].…”

Can Multifunctional Landscapes Become Effective Conservation Strategies? Challenges and Opportunities From a Mexican Case Study

“…For example, the presence of organizations is related to a greater procurement of economic and material resources for production that depends on external factors and that affects local interests in conserving the area. It is known that environmental governance, particularly forest conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, plays a fundamental role in the long-term maintenance of multifunctional landscapes [29]. The strength of multifunctional landscapes as schemes of conservation, in which the diversity of land uses, or their arrangements, sustains ecosystem functions and, in turn, protects biodiversity [16], lies in the fact that decisions regarding which conservation strategy to adopt fall to the landowners.…”

“…The contrary, as indicated by Bodin and Tengo (2017) [42], represents a threat to the permanence of this resource. Participation, collaboration, and learning are processes that must take place to ensure effective governance [29]. The failed effort to establish a PA in Las Cañadas de Sochiapa is a clear example of the importance of common agreements and objectives among stakeholders for proceeding with a conservation initiative.…”