Collaboration and knowledge networks in coastal resources management: How critical stakeholders interact for multiple-use marine protected area implementation

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that social networks and their properties are key in the search for explanations for the success in the governance and management of natural resources. We investigated the structure and properties of inter-organizational social networks involved in the use and management of natural resources in a coastal marine ecosystem in northern Chile proposed as a possible marine protected area. We explored two network configurations: i) relations of collaboration and ii) relations of transfer and exchange of scientific knowledge and information useful to the management of natural resources and the decision-making process involved. Both networks showed little cohesion, with low values of centralization and density indicating a low flow of collaborative and exchange relations among different stakeholders. The knowledge network achieved greater levels of centralization than the collaboration network. National government agencies and fishermen organizations were the most powerful stakeholders in the collaboration network. National government agencies and universities were the most powerful stakeholders in the knowledge network. We found a disconnected network when analyzing the flows of collaboration and knowledge between different administrative operation levels that potentially would hamper the governance of this area. On the other hand, we identified stakeholders that would help to connect the network (bridging stakeholders). Additional analysis of stakeholders using influence-capacity matrix allowed us to identify key stakeholders for planning and implementing the new marine protected area, compare results with the network analysis, and propose network interventions. We propose combining Social Network Analysis with other methods of stakeholder analysis to produce more practical and implementable results. Our results are relevant for future interventions aimed at improving or implementing management and governance of coastal areas.