Abstract
Increasing pressures on the coastal zone calls for new approaches to its governance. The ecosystem services (ES) concept has been presented as a solution for more integrated and ecosystem-based management, providing tools to categorise knowledge on ecosystems, the services they provide, and their value. This paper offers an analysis of the introduction of the ES concept into Norwegian coastal spatial planning as a new governance approach. The study is based on document analysis of relevant legal and policy documents, such as white papers, parliamentary bills, official reports, acts and regulations. Through this process this study finds that only incremental changes have been made to integrate the ES concept into the governance of the coastal zone. ES terms and methods to apply the concept in day-to-day governance have not yet been provided. The multilevel and multiscale governance system is not structured to accommodate such an intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach. The municipal planning system could however be well suited, in particular the strategic environmental assessments. The municipalities act like an integrating body, where the trade-offs between different uses or non-uses of natural resources are considered before making decisions. There is, however, a need for adapted knowledge databases, clarification of methods and training for the municipalities to be able to take on this task. If the government intends to introduce ES based management in Norway, a first step would be to designate the appropriate authority to facilitate a process of relevant authorities across sectors and/or levels to take on this task and to develop guidelines for municipal planners. The experience from Norway therefore shows that without a decision on how the concept should be implemented and who should provide the necessary tools for practitioners to apply, the ES concept will not be effectively integrated into the governance system.
Highlights
Coastal zones are under increasing pressure from a multitude of activities, resulting in competition for both space and resources
Introduction of the ecosystem services (ES) concept in Norway has not captured the system interdependence that is at the heart of the concept
Documents aimed at introducing the concept into Norwegian environmental policy fail to provide the necessary tools for practitioners to undertake ES analysis or implement an ES based approach to coastal zone management, as evident by its inclusion in the regulation on impact assessments and the encouragement for municipalities to develop subplans for biodiversity
Summary
Coastal zones are under increasing pressure from a multitude of activities, resulting in competition for both space and resources. In the process of introducing the ES concept in Norwegian governance, a 2013 Official Norwegian Report ‘Natural benefits—on the values of ecosystem services’ states that ‘the planning system should be reviewed with a view to better demonstrating the value of ecosystem services This is relevant in relation to the national expectations of regional and municipal planning and the Regulations on Environmental Impact Assessment.” (Anon., 2013: 35). Within this backdrop, we analyse how the concept is introduced into relevant legal and policy documents for Norwegian coastal governance and discuss possible implications of this introduction for new governance practices in a multiscale and multilevel governance system. This is followed by a discussion on conditions for introducing the ES concept within Norwegian coastal governance, and, possible consequences of the way in which the concept has been introduced
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