Knowledge integration in the management of coastal conflicts in urban areas: two cases from Sweden

Abstract

High anthropogenic pressure on coastal ecosystems, competition for natural resources and climate change are major challenges to the sustainable management of coastal areas. Two cases of resource use conflicts in coastal urban areas in the south and west of Sweden analysed here illustrate these challenges. The social practices of using and integrating knowledge and joint learning in conflict resolution show that dominant actors and their knowledge practices have a strong influence on conflict resolution and its outcomes. Improved conflict resolution requires more efforts to achieve knowledge integration and joint learning of stakeholders in open, dialogue-based strategies in all phases of the resolution process.

Understanding mechanisms of conflict resolution beyond collaboration: an interdisciplinary typology of knowledge types and their integration in practice

“…Knowledge integration can also happen on the individual and group level and on different levels of institutional arrangements (e.g., within planning context). In this paper, knowledge integration is understood as the integration of different knowledge claims in a complex social process of knowledge production, synthesis, sharing and learning within planning and decision-making (Godemann 2008;Polk 2015a, b;Stepanova 2013). Knowledge integration can be understood as both a process and an outcome of conflict resolution and participatory decision-making.…”

“…Importantly, horizontal knowledge integration does not "ensure (its) anchoring in respective institutional and political contexts where social change occurs" (Polk 2015a, b:110). Therefore, the need to also study vertical integration which, together with other knowledge types, includes the integration of knowledge from collaborative and participatory processes on the horizontal level of conflict resolution into actual decision-making and public policy on local and regional levels (Stepanova 2013).…”

“…In the socialecological resilience literature, conflicts are treated through social networks, knowledge sharing and social learning (e.g., Lebel et al 2006;Olsson et al 2004 on adaptive co-management for resilience). Together with adaptive co-management, more detailed and in-depth studies of conflicts and their resolution are also found within human ecology (Bruckmeier 2005;Bruckmeier and Höj Larsen 2008;Jentoft and Chuenpagdee 2009;Stepanova 2013Stepanova , 2015 and biological/wildlife conservation (e.g., Dickman 2010; Redpath et al 2004Redpath et al , 2013Henle et al 2008;Madden and McQuinn 2014). In these literatures, conflict resolution is often framed in terms of participation, cooperation, collaboration, dialogue and conflict transformation (Stepanova and Bruckmeier 2013).…”

“…The ways in which conflicts are managed are decisive for social justice, human rights, democratic participation and long-term environmental protection and conservation, all of which are foundations of sustainable development as well central issues within the newly launched United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Owens and Cowell 2011;SDGs, UN 2015). A number of approaches from different subject areas and theoretical traditions focus on conflicts both implicitly, through collaboration and consensus building (i.e., in urban planning and transdisciplinary knowledge production research), and explicitly, in studies of conflict resolution and mitigation (i.e., in natural resource management and environmental governance) (Innes and Booher 2015;Stepanova 2013Stepanova , 2015.…”

“…In contrast, in natural resource management (NRM) and environmental governance, conflicts over natural resources, land use and their resolution have been intensively studied as such (Shmueli 2008;Reed et al 2011;Stepanova and Bruckmeier 2013;Martín-Cantarino 2010). A few recent studies from within environmental management (e.g., Blythe and Dadi 2012;Stepanova 2013;Butler et al 2015) suggest that a hitherto neglected component of knowledge integration might be one of the key elements to support conflict resolution on the way to sustainability. Similarly, the importance of knowledge integration as a crucial component for "societal problem solving" in urban planning, is highlighted in studies on transdisciplinary research (TDR) Burger and Kamber 2003;Godemann 2008;Pohl et al 2010;Polk 2015a, b).…”