Integrating knowledge exchange and the assessment of dryland management alternatives – A learning-centered participatory approach

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Title: Integrating knowledge exchange and the assessment of dryland management alternatives – A learning-centered participatory approach
Authors: Bautista, Susana | Llovet López, Joan | Ocampo-Melgar, Anahí | Vilagrosa, Alberto | Mayor, Angeles G. | Murias, Cristina | Vallejo, V. Ramon | Orr, Barron J.
Research Group/s: Gestión de Ecosistemas y de la Biodiversidad (GEB)
Center, Department or Service: Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ecología
Keywords: Drylands | Knowledge management | Participatory assessment | Social learning | Stakeholders | Sustainable management
Knowledge Area: Ecología
Issue Date: 15-Jun-2017
Publisher: Elsevier
Citation: Journal of Environmental Management. 2017, 195(Part 1): 35-45. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.11.050
Abstract: The adoption of sustainable land management strategies and practices that respond to current climate and human pressures requires both assessment tools that can lead to better informed decision-making and effective knowledge-exchange mechanisms that facilitate new learning and behavior change. We propose a learning-centered participatory approach that links land management assessment and knowledge exchange and integrates science-based data and stakeholder perspectives on both biophysical and socio-economic attributes. We outline a structured procedure for a transparent assessment of land management alternatives, tailored to dryland management, that is based on (1) principles of constructivism and social learning, (2) the participation of stakeholders throughout the whole assessment process, from design to implementation, and (3) the combination of site-specific indicators, identified by local stakeholders as relevant to their particular objectives and context conditions, and science-based indicators that represent ecosystem services of drylands worldwide. The proposed procedure follows a pattern of eliciting, challenging, and self-reviewing stakeholder perspectives that aims to facilitate learning. The difference between the initial baseline perspectives and the final self-reviewed stakeholder perspectives is used as a proxy of learning. We illustrate the potential of this methodology by its application to the assessment of land uses in a Mediterranean fire-prone area in East Spain. The approach may be applied to a variety of socio-ecological systems and decision-making and governance scales.
Sponsor: The PRACTICE protocol was developed in the framework of the project PRACTICE: Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification. An integrated Assessment, funded by the European Commission (GA226818). This research was also funded by the European project CASCADE (GA283068), and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship of the European Union (GA 629677) “S4S, Science for Society Solutions”, awarded to B.J.O.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/66449
ISSN: 0301-4797 (Print) | 1095-8630 (Online)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.11.050
Language: eng
Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Rights: © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
Peer Review: si
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.11.050
Appears in Collections:INV - GEB - Artículos de Revistas
Research funded by the EU
INV - DRYEX - Artículos de Revistas

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