Incorporation Of Local Knowledge Research Articles

The Value of Student Voice and Choice: A Guide for Trauma-Informed Participatory Action Research in the University Setting

Many college and university students live with the effects of trauma, and more research is needed around trauma-informed practices in higher education. It is important that this research represents the needs and interests of students and that it be conducted in a way that is appropriate and safe for trauma survivors. We describe the process of forming a vertically integrated, interdisciplinary Participatory Action Research (PAR) team of students and faculty dedicated to creating a trauma-informed learning environment on a university campus and argue that PAR and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) practices provide important and complementary frameworks for inclusive, just, and community-responsive research. We describe how this research team embodied core PAR values of collaboration, incorporation of local knowledge, eclecticism and diversity, case orientation, emergent process, and linking scientific understanding to social action, along with the TIC commitments of trauma awareness, safety, choice and empowerment, and strengths-based orientation. We describe lessons learned by the team and provide recommendations for researchers who seek to incorporate both PAR and TIC principles into their work on trauma and education. Central lessons learned from this process highlighted the importance of 1) establishing and maintaining psychological safety, 2) speaking openly about trauma, and 3) privileging responsiveness to the difficulty of working with trauma while living through ongoing global stressors. Specific recommendations include 1) lead with values, 2) acknowledge and attend to context, 3) recognize that defining trauma is controversial, 4) model courageous conversations, 5) emphasize responsiveness and care, and 6) teach strategies for managing painful emotions.

Mediation as Dispute Resolution in People’s Mining

People’s mining contributes to conflict and environmental degradation, particularly in developing nations. This is a socio-legal study. The study’s findings indicate that mediation is viable, cost-effective, and respectful for resolving smallholder mining disputes. Mediation is a voluntary procedure involving a neutral third party to reach an acceptable solution for both parties. The advantages of mediation include time and cost savings, the maintenance of relationships between parties, the incorporation of local knowledge and cultural practices, the promotion of environmental sustainability, and the facilitation of the development of legal and regulatory frameworks that support the sustainable development of smallholder mining communities. Although mediation faces obstacles such as a lack of trained mediators, potential power imbalances between parties, and the need for trust and cooperation, its usefulness in resolving conflicts and preserving the environment makes it essential for promoting sustainable development.

Exploring the Potential of Integrating Local Wisdom into the Development of Pocket Book Learning Media: A Systematic Literature Review

The incorporation of local knowledge into pocket book learning media provides for a multidimensional strategy for enhancing academic integrity. To create a learning atmosphere that prioritizes both academic excellence and ethical conduct, this incorporation mixes contemporary educational techniques with traditional cultural views. This paper aims to systematically review and synthesize literature on the creation of pocket book learning media based on local knowledge, with a focus on its potential to enhance academic integrity. To investigate the research topic, a systematic literature review was conducted using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology to address three main research objectives. The quality of studies reviewed between 2013 and 2023 was analyzed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Three (3) articles were rated as average, eleven (11) articles as above-average quality, and the remaining six (6) were rated high quality. The central discovery of the research highlights a shared foundation between local wisdom and academic integrity, which are moral and social ethics, honesty, trust, and respect, forming a basis upon which pocket book learning media can be crafted. By infusing the principles of local wisdom into pocket book learning resources, the potential to enhance academic integrity arises due to this common ground. The study has further established a versatile framework that, in conjunction with various research models, can guide the creation of learning materials rooted in local wisdom, thereby fostering and promoting academic integrity.

Revisiting Decentralised Governance of Natural Resources in India: Conceptual Binaries and Restrictive Policy Design

In India, in the post-1990s, fresh and renewed attention has been given to promoting participatory decentralised governance of natural resources (DGNR). The current paper reviews research on the DGNR in India. The paper observes that DGNR has failed in implementing its several objectives, such as ensuring meaningful and effective local participation, incorporation of local knowledge and conservation of natural resources. The paper goes further to claim failure of DGNR in India is beyond procedural. The reasons for failure are deep-rooted in the conceptual assumption underlying policy design. The paper finds that some of the problematic conceptualisations predominantly resulted from policy designing from an objectivist strandpoint. The paper reviews the available literature on the decentralised governance in India and the state’s decentalised resource governance policies. The current paper claims that the current designing of decentralised governance of natural resources (DGNR) is restrictive in nature and limits effective participation of local community in natural resources governance. As an improvement to the current design, the paper argues for a reflexive understanding of human–nature relation to be incorporated into DGNR designing.

Building Forest Fires Resilience, the Incorporation of Local Knowledge into Disaster Mitigation Strategies

The severity of the socio-economic, political, and ecological damage caused by forest fires each year requires action plans for disaster risk reduction (DRR). Despite efforts made to incorporate participatory mechanisms into risk governance, much of the research on disaster risk reduction in academia is conducted under the deficit model. This paper proposes public engagement as a mechanism for incorporating community-based knowledge, experiences, and practices into DRR plans. Based on the case study of forest fires in Galicia (Spain), developed within the MITIGACT project, we explore, through the analysis of in-depth interviews, how forest fires are defined, how disaster management plans are evaluated and what concrete proposals are considered. The results highlight the need to strengthen social governance at the local level and to balance the resources dedicated to the three phases of prevention, extinction, and recovery, moving from a linear to a circular model.

Connecting hydrological modelling and forecasting from global to local scales: Perspectives from an international joint virtual workshop

AbstractThe unprecedented progress in ensemble hydro‐meteorological modelling and forecasting on a range of temporal and spatial scales, raises a variety of new challenges which formed the theme of the Joint Virtual Workshop, ‘Connecting global to local hydrological modelling and forecasting: challenges and scientific advances’. Held from 29 June to 1 July 2021, this workshop was co‐organised by the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Copernicus Emergency Management (CEMS) and Climate Change (C3S) Services, the Hydrological Ensemble Prediction EXperiment (HEPEX), and the Global Flood Partnership (GFP). This article aims to summarise the state‐of‐the‐art presented at the workshop and provide an early career perspective. Recent advances in hydrological modelling and forecasting, reflections on the use of forecasts for decision‐making across scales, and means to minimise new barriers to communication in the virtual format are also discussed. Thematic foci of the workshop included hydrological model development and skill assessment, uncertainty communication, forecasts for early action, co‐production of services and incorporation of local knowledge, Earth observation, and data assimilation. Connecting hydrological services to societal needs and local decision‐making through effective communication, capacity‐building and co‐production was identified as critical. Multidisciplinary collaborations emerged as crucial to effectively bring newly developed tools to practice.

Leading with Local Knowledge: Climate Adaptation, Local Knowledge, and Participation in Austin, Texas’ Network of Plans and the Co-Designed Climate Navigators’ Tool and Process

Planning theory scholars and practitioners have identified the need to include residents most affected by climate change in the development of climate adaptation planning, for reasons of justice and effectiveness. This article investigates whether Austin, Texas’ network of plans includes participation by residents and incorporation of local knowledge into climate adaptation. This research finds that these plans contain limited material about participation, engagement, equity, and local knowledge. In response to this gap, the article presents a case study of the Dove Springs Climate Navigators, a residents-nongovernmental organization-municipal-university collaboration working to co-create an online portal, training system, and process to incorporate local knowledge into adaptation planning.

Food governance for better access to sustainable diets: A review

‘Governance’, understood as organizational governance, is essential to more sustainable food provisioning systems ensuring sustainable health, heritage, and natural environments. Governance enables regional and local perspectives to be aligned with commitments from national and international organizations. Within the wealth of scholarship on food systems governance, agricultural governance and agency is a rarely interrogated dimension, despite the clear impacts of agricultural decisions on health and environmental outcomes. In this paper we discuss the findings of a scoping review that focuses on the question “How can food governance transform food systems to ensure better access to sustainable diets?”, meaning diet that protect health, cultures, and the natural environment. Our results show that it is first needed to determine the governance level and the expected outcomes. From a national perspective, policy coherence is described as a way in which different public institutions can add to the sustainable diets access goal. From a local perspective, community supported activities and the incorporation of local knowledge are also described as ways that can help achieving an improvement on sustainable diets access. Either from a regional or local perspective, commitment from organizations must be ensured for common objectives being aligned. Also, it is necessary to request more from the agricultural sector role in delivering nutritionally and environmentally appropriate food. Thus, the idea of governing agriculture as a health and environmental activity is an approach that should be considered when designing, implementing, and assessing food systems.

Development of Tailored Early Warning Agromet Advisories for Farmers in Zambia, Indonesia, and South Africa

Farmers do not often use climate and weather information on a regular basis, as the specific influence of weather parameters on farm-level decision making is not well-known. Agromet advisories are needed for local farming systems. Effective agrometeorological advisory systems, need tailored agricultural weather forecasts, and two-way communication. Transdisciplinary teams together with farmers can co-develop early warning Agromet advisory systems to address farmers' needs. Three examples of Agromet advisories are discussed- CAPES in Zambia, Science Field Shops in Indonesia, and the AgriCloud mobile App in South Africa. Community Agrometeorological Participatory Extension Service (CAPES) began in Monze, Zambia to communicate seasonal climate forecasts to farmers through researchers and extension interactions. Participatory groups collected spatial and temporal data about local farming systems to highlight opportunities. Communication methods used were local radio, farmers' days, trials, with farm visits. CAPES resulted in lifelong learning about climate and co-development of tailored Agromet advisories to improve climate resilience. In Science Field Shops (SFS) groups of Indonesian farmers meet experts regularly to exchange information about climate and farming activities. Farmers measure rainfall and observe their agroecological systems each day. At monthly meetings, the seasonal forecasts are discussed using dialogue-discussion methods. Agrometeorological learning is trans-disciplinary through interaction between anthropologists, agrometeorologist, and extension personnel. SFS includes eight climate services that empower farmers to address challenges and sustain their productivity. AgriCloud is an online weather-based agricultural advisory system enriching weather forecasts with agricultural information and local knowledge. Real-time overviews and warnings are tailored to farmer's needs. AgriCloud provides farmers, extension staff, and advisors daily updated weather-related farm-specific advice in 11 South African official languages. AgriCloud is available as an android mobile App, or API to use via a platform. These examples illustrate the use of weather forecasting together with tailored forecasts and communication systems to deliver Agromet advisories, showing different aspects of the incorporation of local knowledge in co-developing advisories for the farmers. In the future, various combinations can be used around the world when co-developing with the farmers.

Greenway Network: A Participatory Planning Approach for Municipalities of the South Region of Brazil

Abstract Development of greenways represent a planning strategy that seeks to reconcile both nature conservation and human uses. It is crucial for maintaining landscape connectivity in an increasingly anthropized world. Such strategy encompasses complex socio-ecological variables and its success greatly depends on the integration of different types of knowledge and active support from the local communities and stakeholders. This demands participatory planning processes within multidisciplinary platforms that promote a close collaboration between experts and lay people. The goal of this paper is to describe and analyse a participatory planning approach for the early-stage design of a greenway network for municipalities in South Brazil. The majority of southern Brazilian municipalities contain a very high rate of small farms which are under intensive agricultural production, and consequently, harming the natural landscapes. Actions to effectively tackle this problem are scarcely observed. The procedures encompassed by the approach were determined by the context constraints and potentials that make it applicable in the reality at stake. The approach is focusing on the early-stage design of a greenway network plan and comprises two phases with each a multi-stakeholder workshop for the local landscape analysis and the plan co-design by experts and local actors. The application of the approach in a municipality in southern Brazil has enabled local actors to use key concepts of connectivity planning and foster a critical reflection on local issues, and allowed the incorporation of local knowledge into the solution developed by participants. This resulted in a plan tailored to the local reality.

Decentralized Institutions for Public Goods: Entrepreneurial Responses to Wildfire Risk

We combine insights from theories of environmental and institutional entrepreneurship with the community resilience literature to investigate whether communities can create decentralized institutions to reduce losses from natural hazards that are more effective than relying on state and national government institutions. We argue that decentralized institutions emerging from local communities may be more effective in responding to a community’s specific needs because of their incorporation of local knowledge. Using an original longitudinal dataset of wildfire prevention plans in Northern California, we find evidence that institutions combining local and governmental knowledge and resources can improve the provision of this public good. We suggest this has important implications for environmental entrepreneurship and the many ongoing efforts directed at creating more sustainable and responsible living.

Application of the Natural Capital Model to assess changes in ecosystem services from changes in green infrastructure in Amsterdam

This paper demonstrates the utility of local models for assessing ecosystem services to support urban planning. It does so by application of the NC-Model, a spatially-explicit set of models for assessing ecosystem services in the Netherlands, to assess changes in ecosystem services in the Municipality of Amsterdam given the implementation of strategies from the Green Quality Impulse. The Green Quality Impulse is a spatial plan that envisions the development of Amsterdam’s green infrastructure by 2025 to support the needs of Amsterdam’s growing population. The NC-Model was implemented to spatially quantify six ecosystem services within a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario (only residential and population expansion considered) and three scenarios that capture changes in green infrastructure from the implementation of strategies from the Green Quality Impulse. Incorporation of local knowledge and data enabled quantification of ecosystem services at a high spatial resolution and identification of key factors that influence ecosystem service delivery. Such an approach can support urban planners who wish to better-understand the mechanism by which green infrastructure generates value for urban dwellers, to develop scientifically-sound spatial strategies that optimize ecosystem service supply and use, and to further communicate this information to decision-makers, investors, and local inhabitants in an accessible manner.

Interactive, open source, travel time scenario modelling: tools to facilitate participation in health service access analysis

BackgroundModelling travel time to services has become a common public health tool for planning service provision but the usefulness of these analyses is constrained by the availability of accurate input data and limitations inherent in the assumptions and parameterisation. This is particularly an issue in the developing world where access to basic data is limited and travel is often complex and multi-modal. Improving the accuracy and relevance in this context requires greater accessibility to, and flexibility in, travel time modelling tools to facilitate the incorporation of local knowledge and the rapid exploration of multiple travel scenarios. The aim of this work was to develop simple open source, adaptable, interactive travel time modelling tools to allow greater access to and participation in service access analysis.ResultsDescribed are three interconnected applications designed to reduce some of the barriers to the more wide-spread use of GIS analysis of service access and allow for complex spatial and temporal variations in service availability. These applications are an open source GIS tool-kit and two geo-simulation models. The development of these tools was guided by health service issues from a developing world context but they present a general approach to enabling greater access to and flexibility in health access modelling. The tools demonstrate a method that substantially simplifies the process for conducting travel time assessments and demonstrate a dynamic, interactive approach in an open source GIS format. In addition this paper provides examples from empirical experience where these tools have informed better policy and planning.ConclusionTravel and health service access is complex and cannot be reduced to a few static modeled outputs. The approaches described in this paper use a unique set of tools to explore this complexity, promote discussion and build understanding with the goal of producing better planning outcomes. The accessible, flexible, interactive and responsive nature of the applications described has the potential to allow complex environmental social and political considerations to be incorporated and visualised. Through supporting evidence-based planning the innovative modelling practices described have the potential to help local health and emergency response planning in the developing world.

The Importance and Limitations of Participation in Development Projects and Programmes

This paper discusses the importance and limitations of participation of local people in development projects and programmes while making suggestions on how to enhance such participation. The paper reveals that participation resulted from the paradigm shift that emerged from the failure of ‘top-down approaches’ or growth models of development. It also arose due to development actors’ realization that approaches to development needed to be adapted to local conditions that are shaped by different sociocultural, economical and political realities. The paper adopts a desk review, conceptual analysis of the importance and limitations of participation of local people in development projects and programmes, placing particular focus on two 1994 publications by Robert Chambers, as key sources of literature on the origins of participation. Using Sherry Arnstein’s understanding of participation where she equates it with the concept of power, participation can enhance empowerment of the locals and can provide local people with the opportunity to think and develop solutions for themselves. Participation can also allow the incorporation of local knowledge, skills and resources in the design of interventions, it can ensure project/programme responsiveness to people’s needs, it can enhance the goal of sustainability and assist breaking the mentality of dependency. Critics assert that participation does not lead to locals’empowerment, because participatory methodologies fail to change and challenge the bureaucratic, centralized and administrative structures that control decision-making and resource allocation. Also, through participation, what could be considered to be local knowledge might just be a construction of the planning context that cover a complex micropolitics of knowledge production and use in local communities. Domination also limit participation since participatory activities take place in groups. Particiaptory techniques conceal traditional local relationships of power and fail to deal with situations where local culture hinders participation by being oppressive to certain people. Therefore, participation is affected by spatial, temporal, political, social and cultural contexts. Thus, to ensure successful participation, there is need to contextualize it within the existing local environment. It is important to situate efforts whose aim is to engage communities in context if they are to be successful. This is because contexts in which different development organizations and agencies operate are complex and diverse. Participation must be informed by carefully done political and social analyses. By so doing, an examination of the practices and social relationships that determine local knowledge production and use can be made. Participation should be considered as political as it is conditioned by the institutional framework and political backgrounds of the participants.

VP113 Reframing “Disinvestment”: Appropriateness And Real-Time Data Capture

INTRODUCTION:Disinvestment – stopping the use of health technologies with little or no clinical benefits – can reduce health system costs and change practice towards effective innovations. In England, efforts to support disinvestment have included the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE's) list of 900+ “Do Not Do (DND) technologies”. However, recent studies show ongoing, varying rates of DND technology, suggesting limited influence. In response, we propose a shift in perspective and reframing of the concept of ‘disinvestment’ to focus on ‘appropriateness’.METHODS:We have developed a two-pronged approach to ‘appropriateness’. The first develops local clinician agreements on specific, appropriate indications for a technology. The "RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method” is being extended in this stage. This knowledge management process enables incorporation of local knowledge and practice via consensus development amongst local experts alongside scientific evidence. The second, and more novel, element is to specify and routinely collect data on technology use associated with these agreed indications. Shifting from cross-sectional clinical audits to real-time monitoring will highlight variation from the agreed indications, which can inform reimbursement policy and decisions. Evaluating the feasibility and sustainability of this approach will provide important lessons for scaling up.RESULTS:For clinicians, the reframing from disinvestment to appropriateness has important implications. The approach recognizes that there are very few technologies with absolutely no benefit. Framing the management of technology diffusion in terms of appropriateness emphasises benefits and maximises value for public health. Furthermore, combining local agreements on indications with real-time data capture facilitates intelligent, flexible commissioning and informs real-life evaluation.CONCLUSIONS:Shifting the perspective from disinvestment to appropriateness overcomes negative associations of stopping healthcare technologies. Linking clinically driven decisions on technology indications with routine data capture on use can transform clinical audit and healthcare commissioning. The combination of these approaches is, we believe, a novel approach on which more reflection and research will be valuable.

Fishers’ local knowledge on impact of climate change and anthropogenic interferences on Hilsa fishery in South Asia: evidence from Bangladesh

The anadromous fish species Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) constitutes the largest single fishery in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. River Meghna is the important habitat for Hilsa as the major breeding and nursing grounds are situated along this portion of the river. In this paper, we investigate fishers’ perceptions on effect of climate change and anthropogenic impact on Hilsa fishery at lower Meghna. Fishers’ ecological knowledge indicates that the stock of Hilsa is declining due to several adverse climatic conditions such as increased water temperature, salinity intrusion and low freshwater discharge from upstream. Fishers believe that dams and polders have immense effect on river sedimentation which already blockade several upward migratory route of Hilsa. Fishers’ experience shows that intensity of coastal cyclone is gradually increasing, which causes severe physical and economical damage. The study also indicates that the major constraints to adopt with the change situation are low level of human capital and restricted access to the formal credit system. Therefore, incorporation of local knowledge in governmental policy formulation and public support to improve human skill are essential for the adaptive management.

LCLUC as an entry point for transdisciplinary research – Reflections from an agriculture land use change study in South Asia

This article highlights applied understanding of classifying earth imaging data for land cover land use change (LCLUC) information. Compared to the many previous studies of LCLUC, the present study is innovative in that it applied geospatial data, tools and techniques for transdisciplinary research. It contributes to a wider discourse on practical decision making for multi-level governance. Undertaken as part of the BioDIVA project, the research adopted a multi-tiered methodical approach across three key dimensions: socioecology as the sphere of interest, a transdisciplinary approach as the disciplinary framework, and geospatial analysis as the applied methodology. The area of interest was the agroecosystem of Wayanad district in Kerala, India (South Asia). The methodology was structured to enable analysis of multi-scalar and multi-temporal data, using Wayanad as a case study. Three levels of analysis included: District (Landsat TM-30m), Taluk or sub-district (ASTER-15m) and Village or Gram Panchayat (GeoEye-0.5m). Our hypothesis, that analyzing patterns of land use change is pertinent for up-to-date assessment of agroecosystem resources and their wise management is supported by the outcome of the multi-tiered geospatial analysis. In addition, two examples from the project that highlight the adoption of LCLUC by different disciplinary experts are presented. A sociologist assessed the land ownership boundary for a selected tribal community. A faunal ecologist used it to assess the effect of landscape structure on arthropods and plant groups in rice fields. Furthermore, the Google Earth interface was used to support the overall validation process. Our key conclusion was that a multi-level understanding of the causes, effects, processes and mechanisms that govern agroecosystem transformation requires close attention to spatial, temporal and seasonal dynamics, for which the incorporation of local knowledge and participation of local communities is crucial.

Linked and Situated: Grounded Knowledge

AbstractLocal knowledge registers prominently in scholarly efforts to resolve environmental problems, ushering in widespread use of participatory practices of deliberation. Without the incorporation of local knowledge, many scholars contend that environmental science and planning remain beholden to the unbridled reign of the expert, and the daunting complexity of environmental problems remains seemingly impossible to penetrate. Following in this vein of work, we formed our participatory research project on nonpoint water pollution in two watersheds around four action clusters. On the local side, we included a cluster of farmers and farmland owners and a cluster of general community members. On the expert side, we included a cluster of researchers and another of government officials. However, we found in our research that the development of democratic deliberation depended more on whether participants situated and linked their knowledge than whether it was local or expert in origin. We suggest grounded knowledge, situating one's experiences in a way that enables participants to actively link with other knowledge, as a concept useful for scholars to better understand which ways of knowing enable deliberation in the participatory processes.

Cops as treatment providers: realities and ironies of police work in a foot patrol experiment

Experimental research on policing is inspired by the public health analogy of officers as treatment providers. A randomised violence reduction experiment in Philadelphia recently used foot patrols as place-based interventions in violent city spaces during a hot spots policing experiment, and a 23% reduction in violent crime was observed. This paper reports on field observations of foot patrol officers involved in this experiment, which were designed to capture officers' perceptions of, and experiences with the foot patrol function. While the findings resonate with Bittner's depiction of policing on ‘skid row’, they illuminated the importance of ‘territoriality’ in a place-based intervention. Officers developed extensive local knowledge of their beat areas, which allowed them to draw from a repertoire of techniques to exert spatial control in the management of disorder. The choice of techniques depended in part on officer style, and the ways in which individual police negotiated the tensions between ‘reassurance policing’ and the crime fighting demands of ‘real police work’. Perhaps most importantly, officers felt constrained by the (artificial) parameters of an experiment that did not allow for the incorporation of local knowledge. This research helps to highlight the value of qualitative research for experimental designs, and reinforces the need to acknowledge and integrate officer knowledge in the design of sustainable interventions.

Incorporation of Local Knowledge in the Identification of Ria de Aveiro Lagoon Ecosystem Services (Portugal)

Sousa, L.P., Lillebø A.I., Gooch G.D., Soares J.A., Alves F.L., 2013. Incorporation of Local Knowledge in the Identification of Ria de Aveiro Lagoon Ecosystem Services (Portugal).Coastal lagoons, such as Ria de Aveiro, are of strategic importance as they play a crucial role in almost all biogeochemical processes that sustain the biosphere and provide a variety of services, which are essential to the human wellbeing. Due to their potential vulnerability, to the increased human-related activities and pressures, the management of these systems requires an integrated and ecosystem based approach with close engagement of civil society. It is in this context that this research aims to include the population knowledge in the identification of Ria de Aveiro ecosystem services. In the scope of the EU-FP7 LAGOONS project 9 Focus Groups with the coastal lagoon inhabitants have been developed, in order to combine different scientific disciplines with local knowledge and stakeholders' views. In these sessions the participants freely discussed the topic of ‘Ria de Aveiro', and identified the types of uses and activities, discussed the current management model, and presented some recommendations for the future. This paper uses this privileged contact and proximity with local population to analyse the ecosystem services that participants indirectly identified. Relevant examples are the use of the lagoon for recreation, fishing or education-research activities. In terms of results, participants mainly identified provisioning and cultural services; however, even indirectly, they show some concerns regarding regulation and support services. Participants recognized the dependency of their uses and activities to a healthy ecosystem. The incorporation of their knowledge and concerns in the Ria de Aveiro management strategies is very important, since it has a pedagogical role and if people identify themselves with the decisions, they will accept them and enforce the compliance by the various users of Ria.