Bridging Organizations Drive Effective Governance Outcomes for Conservation of Indonesia's Marine Systems

Communication, trust and leadership in co-managing biodiversity: A network analysis to understand social drivers shaping a common narrative

Environmental co-management has been advocated and applied in diverse contexts as an integrative and inclusive approach to make biodiversity conservation more effective and contextual. Co-management however requires the actors involved to overcome tacit boundaries and reconcile different viewpoints to reach a shared understanding on the environmental problem and envisioned solution(s). We depart from the assumption that a common narrative can serve as a base for a shared understanding and analyze what types of actor relations in co-management influence the emergence of a common narrative. Empirical data is collected using a mixed-method case study design. We apply the idea of narrative congruence, which relates to the similarity of narrations that actors tell, to investigate the effects of the types of relationships between two actors as well as specific leadership roles using an Exponential Random Graph Model. We find that frequent interaction between two actors and a trusted leader with many reciprocal trust ties to be important drivers to support the emergence of narrative congruence ties. Connecting leaders, i.e. actors in brokering positions, show a statistically significant negative correlation with narrative congruence ties. The results suggest that a common narrative tends to emerge in sub-groups around a highly trusted leader, in which actors talk frequently to each other. A brokering leader, however, seems to face strong difficulties of forming narrative congruence ties with others, although such brokers may play central roles in the co-design of common narratives to form the basis for motivating collective action in co-management. Lastly, we discuss the importance of common narratives and how leaders can better succeed in co-designing these in environmental co-management approaches.

Network Governance at the Margin of the State: Rural Drinking Water Communities in Chile

We focus on the relationship between the network structure of Chilean rural drinking water associations (APRs) and effective governance outcomes regarding the provision of infrastructure and drinking water to peripheral rural communities in the Valparaiso region. Based on a comparative regional multi-method case study, we assess the coherence of differences in the governance network structure with the corresponding governance outcomes. Using qualitative interviews, participant observation, and a network survey of collaboration and legitimacy relationships among leaders of local APRs, we find that when isolated APRs establish collective organizations, they can generate better governance outcomes even without support from the state. We demonstrate that higher levels of collaboration as well as a more integrative distribution of legitimacy relations in the network are coherent with more effective governance outcomes. The findings suggest to strengthen social and organizational capacity at the local level of water governance in order to overcome the challenges of megadroughts and of a lack of public infrastructure in peripheral rural areas.

Identifying and developing effective post-2020 conservation bridging leaders

Effective bridging leaders interact within and outside their group to facilitate collaboration required in multistakeholder contexts. This is particularly crucial to community-based conservation interventions that strive to achieve both ecological and social objectives by actively engaging or devolving decision-making and management authority to local communities. Although a viable approach in many contexts, achieving "unprecedented collaboration" called for by the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in community-based conservation is problematic given the multiple and diverse actors affecting and affected by these interventions. Therefore, effective leadership becomes crucial to implementing necessary strategies to engage actors and resolve conflict inclusively. Yet, weak leadership commonly constrains these interventions. I reviewed relevant literature and devised a framework of effective bridging leadership characteristics. I then used this framework to appraise bridging leadership in two African coastal-marine community-based conservation cases. I employed social network analysis and semistructured and group interviews in the two cases. Several local leaders emerged as key (potential) bridging leaders. Furthermore, I found that effective bridging leaders require not only legal recognition but also perceived legitimacy resulting from building trust with other actors. Additionally, the inclusive collaboration required multiple sources of emotionally intelligent bridging leaders with the integrity, humility, empathy, and cultural awareness necessary to mitigate elite capture, effectively communicate, and empower and provide support to others. Because emotional intelligence in conservation leadership remains a knowledge gap, particularly in community-based conservation research, insights from this study should be useful to diverse conservation actors.

Bridging Actors and Their Role in Co-Managing Lakes: Cases from Greater Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (GBMR)

Co-management is seen as a means to effectively manage common-pool resources, especially collaborations based on sharing of roles and responsibilities between state and non-state actors. Collaborations depend on certain key intermediary bridging actors who facilitate and coordinate links between these actors. In this paper, we aim to understand the role of these bridging actors in shaping networks of co-management by developing a framework based on certain characteristics such as initiation, position, and facilitation of interactions whose application we illustrate for three lakes situated across a rural–urban gradient in Greater Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (GBMR). Drawing on concepts from co-management and social network analysis, we analyse data collected from documents, key informant interviews, and FGDs to identify that bridging actors play a critical role in resource gathering, enhancing mutual trust, and promoting innovation through information exchange irrespective of the social-ecological context. Beyond mere description, we highlight that state sponsorship plays an important role in establishment of bridging actors in urban and peri-urban areas due to heterogeneity in perceptions, actors, lack of trust and credibility in comparison to rural lakes where state sponsorship is less important and community engagement is stronger. We conclude that irrespective of the context, position of bridging actors plays an important role in facilitation of interactions within networks.

Stakeholder engagement in the governance of marine migratory species: barriers and building blocks

Meaningful stakeholder engagement is important to collaborative decision-making and to effective polycentric governance, particularly when managing cross-scale environmental issues like those involving marine migratory species. In this paper, we explore the barriers to, and opportunities for, stakeholder involvement in the governance of threats to marine migratory species in eastern Australia, using semi-structured qualitative interviews and a focus group, as an example of the generic problem of managing migratory species within a large range state with multiple jurisdictions. Respondents identified several barriers to, and opportunities for, improved stakeholder involvement in the governance of marine migratory species, corresponding to 4 main themes: decision-making processes, information sharing, institutional structures, and participation processes. Respondents indicated that the governance system protecting marine turtles, dugongs, humpback whales, and non-threatened migratory shorebirds in eastern Australia would benefit from the introduction of new information pathways, reformed institutional structures (including environmental legislation), and improved participatory pathways for non-government stakeholders. Such changes could help harmonise the process of managing these species, leading to more effective conservation management throughout their range.

Determinants of environmental conservation in Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia

This study has investigated the factors that determine the conservation of one of the major ecosystem in Ethiopia, Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve, using primarily quantitative followed by qualitative approach to provide adequate results of the problem under study. The study has employed the descriptive design and a total of 305 samples from rural households (n = 159) and tourism-related enterprises (n = 146) were selected based on a stratified random sampling technique. Samples were drawn based on their direct attachment either in their livelihood and possess a responsibility to the study area. Data were collected through questionnaires, observation, focus group discussion, unstructured interview and secondary data was consulted. Exploratory factor analysis was used to extract dimensions for environmental awareness. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze data using SPSS version 23. Ten Socio-demographic variables of samples were used as an independent variable and environmental conservation dimensions as dependent variables. The result revealed that out of the 10 variables employed in the analysis, six variables were found significant. Hence, marital status, household size, income source, household income, membership to club and resident location were found to be significant. Qualitative analysis revealed wrong reports for political consumption driven little government attention and lack of integrated natural resource management policy and plan were major factors hindering conservation. A vivid and holistic destination management policy making with enough room to stakeholders' involvement shall be a prior task for the government for better conservation of the ecosystem and sustainable development.