Adaptive Co-management Approach Research Articles

Can adaptive co-management reduce poverty and inequality in the coastal fishing community? An impact evaluation in the riverine system in Bangladesh

Adaptive co-management is an effective tool for reducing poverty among poor fishers who lives in the coastal fisheries. This approach can ensure the highest possible sustainable output from capture fisheries, increasing revenue and reducing inequality. Using household panel data from coastal areas of Bangladesh, this study assessed the impact of ECOFISH project’s adaptive co-management approach on poverty, income and inequality through difference in differences (DiD) method. Using two-stage cluster sampling, data was collected from 1200 fishers’ households of six coastal districts, which were separated into project and control groups. Poverty and inequality were measured using the Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) indices and Gini decomposition, respectively. In addition, a fixed-effect model was also employed to identify the factors influencing their income change. The findings from DiD reveal that the project had a positive impact on the fisher’s income, especially in the case of fishing and on-farm sources. Due to the unconfined implementation in open-water fisheries, the study had minor effects on inequality. However, the adaptive co-management approach effectively reduced poverty among the fishers. Moreover, the intensity and severity of their poverty situation had significantly declined. The fixed-effect model elicited that ECOFISH has successfully increased fishing and total income, whereas the off-farm income was curtailed. The household head’s age, size, fishing boat ownership, varied livelihood, social network, and household assets contributed to a considerable rise in overall income. This research could help policymakers in the food systems approach make better judgments on poverty reduction.

Drivers, Opportunities, and Challenges for Integrated Resource Co-management and Sustainable Development in Galapagos

The Galapagos archipelago represents an insular system with finite natural resources, a growing population, and an economy heavily weighted on tourism that leaves it vulnerable to shocks, such as the Covid-19 crisis. This work proposes an alternative scenario developed through creating intersections between water-energy-food (WEF) nexus and adaptive co-management (ACM) approaches to resource management. This framework allows the identification of novel synergies that are applied to the analysis of Galapagos as case study. Within this approach, qualitative analysis is applied to data collected via a set of interviews with local stakeholders (including community, business, third sector, and government actors) to evaluate (i) how a deeper understanding of community perceptions and needs can help to identify pathways toward more sustainable development in line with conservation goals, (ii) what governance frameworks should be implemented to promote community-based resource management and resilience, and (iii) what role education and capacitation can play in supporting alternative forms of economic activity. The research suggests that the implementation of an integrated WEF-ACM framework for resource management in Galapagos could promote resilience by opening a space for deliberation and conflict resolution between legitimate stakeholders, thus supporting more effective and balanced participative governance. The current Covid-19 crisis has led to the emergence of alternative forms of community collaboration that demonstrate the potential for a more economically diverse and more sustainable future. By placing different sources of knowledge on a level platform in such a framework, greater community ownership of resource management and conservation goals could be achieved. The incorporation of an ACM approach within the management of WEF resources would also allow Galapagueños to determine their own vision of a future sustainable socio-ecosystem, based on optimising system outcomes by co-identifying the trade-offs and synergies between the interrelated resource sectors, but requires a transformation in institutional culture.

Governance of protected areas: an institutional analysis of conservation, community livelihood, and tourism outcomes

Protected areas are managed for multiple, often competing, goals including biodiversity conservation, community livelihoods, and tourism. However, there is a lack of clear evidence on which governance approaches are more effective in governing protected areas to achieve these goals. This paper sheds light on the effectiveness of different protected area governance approaches using Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. The research was conducted in three protected areas of Nepal: Chitwan National Park, the Annapurna Conservation Area, and the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, which represent state-community, NGO, and community-managed protected areas, respectively. Data were collected through interviews, supplemented by published and unpublished documents, and field observations. Results revealed that the outcomes vary across the protected areas primarily because of their governance approaches and local contexts. Due to rigid monocentric and simple polycentric approaches, the PAs failed to adapt to the changing social-ecological systems. Based on the findings, a multi-layered polycentric adaptive co-management approach has been proposed. The study also developed a multi-goal IAD model to assess PA governance. Additional theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications with respect to protected areas governance are also discussed.

Is the Partnership Governance Able to Promote Endogenous Rural Development? A Preliminary Assessment Under the Adaptive Co-Management Approach

Abstract Ever increasingly more, all the actors directly or indirectly involved in the planning processes express the need to know the effects deriving from the implementation of rural development policy. In this direction, evaluation can make an important contribution, fostering the development of a ‘good policy’ as underlined by EU regulations. Among the specific evaluation questions developed by the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, one of them relates to the improvement of governance. Considering the Adaptive Co-Management (ACM) approach’s capacity as a proxy of the quality of network governance, the study aims to propose the ACM theoretical framework as a suitable model with which to study the social interactions between actors in the smallest unit of the LEADER process (i.e., the local action group’s (LAG’s) partnership governance). The proposed methodology is subsequently tested on a specific case study through the evaluation of the partnership governance of two case studies in the South of Italy. The empirical evidence supports the idea that ACM approach may represent a new model to assess the quality of the implementation process of the LEADER Programme. In addition, the ACM approach can lead to a new organizational and self-evaluation model of LAGs which places an emphasis on the importance of the relational process among its members.

How the end of armed conflicts influence forest cover and subsequently ecosystem services provision? An analysis of four case studies in biodiversity hotspots

Ecosystem Services are commonly understood as the goods and services people obtain from nature, such as carbon sequestration, provision of food and fibres, pollination, etc. The provision of these services is in part closely related to the level of biodiversity in a region. Since some forested regions are considered biodiversity hotspots, the loss of such forested areas would affect the provision of ecosystem services. Among others, expansion of the agricultural frontier, demand for timber, weak enforcement of environmental regulations, or illegal logging are some of the key factors contributing to forest loss. These factors can be supported or enhanced during or after periods of extreme social instability such as armed conflicts or wars. Analyzing forest cover data for four different countries that have experienced armed conflicts in the recent past (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast and Peru), we seek to understand the influence of armed conflicts in ecosystem services provision, aiming to identify social, political and institutional drivers. Our four case studies show that at the end of their armed conflicts, on an average there was a 68.08% increase of annual forest loss in the five years following the end of conflict, as compared to the worldwide 7.20% mean. We identified inappropriate governance and institutional arrangements as the key driver during the transition period. We argue that as part of a family of bottom-up approaches, the adaptiveco-management approach is a promising option to deal with similar situations in the future, helping to keep a sustainable provision of ecosystem services.

Tourism governance in protected areas: investigating the application of the adaptive co-management approach

Protected areas have become popular tourism destinations; yet these areas are often plagued by poor governance systems, particularly in developing countries. Adaptive co-management (ACM) has been advocated as one approach to improve the governance of protected areas, yet empirical evidence from developing countries is lacking. This study investigates the application of the ACM approach in two protected areas in Bangladesh which are also important nature-based tourism destinations. Using Lawachara National Park and Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary as cases, this qualitative study explored the extent to which an ACM approach was able to support the achievement of key governance principles such as participation, accountability, transparency, power, rule of law, and social learning. It was found that the approach was successful in facilitating the increased participation of a broader range of stakeholder groups, and the collaboration between them. Importantly though, it was the adaptive element of ACM which was found to have made the greatest contribution to improved governance with the approach providing new opportunities for stakeholders to engage in iterative learning. This aspect was found to be of particular importance for the sustainability of the protected areas with stakeholders reporting changes attitudes and behaviour towards protected area conservation.

Uma síntese das condições para a efetividade da cogestão da pesca artesanal

Apesar da emergência de iniciativas de cogestão da pesca artesanal, ou ao menos da sua recomendação enquanto uma alternativa aos modelos convencionais de gestão, a sua efetividade é bastante dependente do contexto social, político, econômico e ecológico. Identificar quais condições poderiam facilitar esse processo se configura como uma das vertentes de pesquisa do enfoque da cogestão adaptativa, com implicações tanto para a análise dos processos quanto para subsidiar experiências práticas em curso. Considerando que diferentes arranjos de cogestão da pesca artesanal têm sido criados no Brasil, neste artigo de revisão é apresentada uma sistematização das principais condições para a sua efetividade, a partir da literatura especializada. Conclui-se que um “cenário ideal” para a cogestão da pesca artesanal reforça processos de pequena escala e de menor complexidade socioecológica, em detrimento da alta complexidade de boa parte dos sistemas socioecológicos costeiros em que a pesca artesanal está inserida

Adaptive co-management: A novel approach to tourism destination governance?

Abstract Although tourism destination governance has been a subject of academic enquiry for some time now, in practice, governance is still a challenge for many tourism destinations around the world. Adaptive co-management (ACM) is a dynamic approach to governance whereby institutional arrangements and ecological knowledge are continually revised through a process of ‘learning-by-doing’. Founded on the active participation and collaboration of diverse stakeholder groups, ACM has been used extensively in the governance of natural resource contexts and so may offer valuable synergies for tourism governance; particularly the governance of tourism in protected areas. This review paper presents a critical review and synthesis of the ACM literature, identifying synergies and opportunities for enhancing tourism governance practices in protected area contexts through an ACM approach. A conceptual framework is developed from the review that identifies principles, stages, variables and expected outcomes of the ACM approach. Future research directions for ACM in tourism are proposed that incorporate governance, social learning and multi-stakeholder engagement.

Institutional barriers in adapting to climate change: A case study in Sri Lanka

Uncertainty and unpredictability characterising complex socio-ecological systems challenge conventional hierarchical governance regimes seen in South Asian developing countries such as Sri Lanka. Though experimental interventions that seek to engage communities have been implemented in a number of regions, most of these interventions stall after the experimental stage. This research utilised opportunities provided by a landmark intervention on Special Area Management in Negombo, Sri Lanka, to draw lessons for community-based interventions for climate change adaptation.Short term policy interventions can lead to irrevocable changes within complex socio-ecological systems, disintegrating identities and functions. Such systems become artificial, empty shells, losing their former richness and serenity. Tight social networks and bonds, which prevailed through centuries disappear, taking away the ability of communities to engage in collective action that allowed sustainable use of their common resource base. The resulting degradation of the natural resource base that form the livelihood of communities leads to further breaking down of the social network, driving this vicious cycle.It is clear that the Special Area Management (SAM) intervention in Negombo, Sri Lanka needs further improvement if it were to further the adaptive co-management approach, though the project that funded the intervention clearly expected to utilise this approach. The current national and provincial level institutional set up is not conducive for effective adaptive co-management. This is mainly due to conventional institutions adhering to governance regimes that are rigid and inflexible, and as such are not prepared to be adaptive through policy learning. It is also due to the fact that existing systems are not serious about community empowerment in the governance process. It is clear that any breakthrough allowing for an adaptive co-management kind of approach needs policy and institutional change.

Effectiveness of the Local Adaptation Plan of Action to support climate change adaptation in Nepal

A key challenge in climate change adaptation in developing countries as a whole, and to handling global change in particular, is to link local adaptation needs on the one hand, with national adaptation initiatives on the other, so that vulnerable households and communities can directly benefit. This study assesses the impact of the Nepal government’s efforts to promote its Local Adaptation Plan of Action (LAPA) and its applicability to other least developed countries (LDCs). Based on data gathered from two field studies in Nepal, the research shows that the Nepal’s LAPA has succeeded in mobilizing local institutions and community groups in adaptation planning and recognizing their role in adaptation. However, the LAPA approach and implementation have been constrained by sociostructural and governance barriers that have failed to successfully integrate local adaptation needs in local planning and increase the adaptive capacity of vulnerable households. This paper describes the mechanisms of suitable governance strategies for climate change adaptation specific to Nepal and other LDCs. It also argues the need to adopt an adaptive comanagement approach, where the government and all stakeholders identify common local- and national-level mainstreaming strategy for knowledge management, resource mobilization, and institutional development, ultimately using adaptation as a tool to handle global change.

So you need a social monitoring plan: Now what?

S oil and water conservation personnel have a long tradition of collaborating and learning directly from the constituencies with whom they work. Collaborative, cooperative, and participatory arrangements between agencies, organizations, and stakeholders have been described as essential to effectively address ecosystem management goals. In the last two decades, collaborative efforts among managers and stakeholders have become more formal in character and have been defined as “adaptive comanagement” (Armitage et al. 2009). The adaptive comanagement approach allows for flexibility and responsiveness to new and emerging social and ecological issues, while paying particular attention to the diverse and dynamic interests of natural resource stakeholders (Pahl-Wostl 2006; Pahl-Wostl et al. 2007; Atwell et al. 2010). A core value of this approach is enhancing the capacity of all stakeholders (e.g., farmers, conservation organizations, and government agencies) to reflect on management outcomes and adapt to meet project goals and expectations. Fulfilling this core value necessitates a structured approach to monitoring and evaluation (Plummer and Armitage 2007; Armitage et al. 2009), which can offer insights into effectiveness of various participatory approaches and encourages experimentation and adjustments that can address an individual project as well as an organization's strategies (Chess et al. 2000; Low and Randhir 2005). Most…

Resolving environmental issues in the southern Brazilian artisanal penaeid-trawl fishery through adaptive co-management

Many conventional management strategies have been demonstrated to be ineffective in achieving sustainable fisheries, and new approaches are required to overcome existing environmental, social and economic problems. Adaptive co-management represents the combination of a learning-by-doing approach (adaptive management) involving all related and legitimate stakeholders in the decision-making process (collaborative management). In this study, the relevant experiences from a fishery in southern Brazil are reported. The first section of the paper summarizes the broad history of national fisheries and their management. Then the southern Brazilian artisanal penaeid-trawl fishery is briefly described and the three main problems associated with the common gears used are discussed, including their (1) poor size and species selectivities, (2) poor efficiencies, and (3) their mechanical impacts on benthic habitats. Finally, a framework is proposed to address the environmental and socio-economic issues in the fishery and its implementation discussed via an adaptive co-management approach.

Forest Dispute and Change in Muonio, Northern Finland

This article examines a forest dispute that took place in the municipality of Muonio in northern Finland. The parties involved in the dispute were the Finnish state forestry enterprise Metsähallitus and a local coalition consisting of representatives of reindeer herders, the municipality, a local environmental NGO, a game association, and tourism entrepreneurs. The primary data for the article was gathered through thematic interviews that took place in 2005 and 2007. The dispute reflects the land-use needs of growing tourism in the area. It also provides an example of how change takes place through a dispute and how it is managed. The adaptive cycle heuristic is utilised to assist in an analysis of the change resulting from the dispute. Secondly, the Muonio case is examined in the light of the adaptive co-management approach in order to examine whether the change was governed adaptively. It is concluded that the dispute worked as a trigger for a policy innovation. That is, Metsähallitus rented the forests to tourism entrepreneurs and the municipality for ten years. The solution contained some features of adaptive co-management: a place-specific solution, interaction and negotiation. The problems were related to knowledge distribution and lack of careful deliberation.