The role of local people for collaborative management of Korean village groves

Abstract

Adaptive and collaborative natural resource management has been proposed as a means to navigate the social-ecological system dynamics of resilient systems. However, our understanding of how diverse stakeholders and local actors contribute to collaborative management processes and outcomes is limited, especially with regard to small-scale resource management. This study investigates the role of local people in Korean village grove restoration projects, focusing on bridging linkages and bridging organizations. From a network perspective, we analyze data collected from key informant interviews, document reviews, and field visits to four village groves, to identify key actors and actor groups and to examine their relationships in each restoration project. Along with the relational patterns of local people, the multiple functions of bridging organizations, including accessing critical resources, resolving conflict, enhancing mutual trust, and building local capacity, vary between the four villages. The findings provide insights into the potential of local civil society, through the bridging roles of village-based citizen organizations, to contribute to the emergence of collaborative and adaptive management networks and improved management outcomes.