Disrupting the governance of social-ecological rigidity traps: Can pluralism foster change towards sustainability?

Abstract

Processes of change towards sustainability are urgently needed to ensure that humans continue to live within safe biophysical limits. Governance and politics are inherently implicated in any effort to foster successful change processes. Pluralism has been argued as a key ingredient for increasing the likelihood of robust and viable processes of change. Here, we explore pluralism vis-a-vis resource and ecosystem governance from a social-ecological systems (SES) perspective, considering both plurality of values and methodological pluralism. We focus on (1) understanding situations of limited pluralism and factors contributing to it being perpetuated, and (2) exploring how “latent pluralism” could be drawn out to foster change towards sustainability. Our particular interest lies in understanding the role of discursive-institutional dynamics—discourses and how they play out via institutions—underlying governance. To these ends, we synthesize and build on existing case study research in the Doñana region (Guadalquivir estuary, SW Spain), an estuary-delta SES characterized by a rigidity trap, a situation of inflexibility that makes the SES more vulnerable. Using the illustrative example of a failed hydraulic megaproject, we use a novel analytical approach blending institutional analysis with discursive-institutional dynamics. We show how tight relationships between institutional structures and dominant discourses in the Doñana region, underpinned by a hegemonic hydraulic-mission discourse, played a prominent role in curtailing pluralism in Doñana's governance contexts over time. We also show how latent pluralism exists in the region, and reflect upon current ideas and discourses that might help loosen existing governance stalemates and foster change towards sustainability.