A Geography of Place: principles and application for defining ‘eco-civic’ resource governance regions

River catchments have been the dominant form of regionalisation for natural-resource management in many countries since the 1980s. Local governments play a considerable role in planning with ever-increasing responsibilities for sustainable environmental management, planning and development controls. There has also been an increasing emphasis on community participation in resource management, which emphasises the need to re-examine the requirements for spatial definition of resource governance regions. This paper proposes three principles. First, the nature and reach of environmental externalities of resource use should determine the size and nesting of resource management regions. Second, the boundaries of resource governance regions should enclose areas of greatest interest and importance to local residents. Third, the biophysical characteristics of a resource governance region should be as homogenous as possible, which provides resource planning and management efficiencies. The paper describes a range of concepts and empirical techniques used to apply these principles to the derivation of a resource governance regionalisation of the State of New South Wales, Australia.     

Towards good governance of urban greening: insights from four initiatives in Melbourne,Australia

ABSTRACT

Urban greening can enhance sustainability and liveability, through conserving biodiversity, mitigating urban heat and enhancing people’s health and wellbeing. However, urban greening is complex, as it occurs in unique ecological settings, with social, cultural and economic factors shaping the forms it takes. This raises questions about the governance of urban greening, including what counts as ‘good governance’. In this paper, we first outline principles of good governance drawn from the natural resource management context. We then present four urban greening initiatives from Melbourne Australia representing different scales, land tenures and organising structures. Following this, we analyse how governance of the four initiatives addresses good governance principles. Our analysis shows that there are diverse ways in which urban greening can be practiced and governed. The importance of more ‘informal’ initiatives should not be discounted relative to formalised initiatives, as a spectrum of approaches can be seen as strength. Further, in determining what constitutes good governance, the standards against which initiatives are assessed should be tailored to their specific circumstances, and consider impacts to the environment itself. These findings point to good urban greening governance being both situated and principled.     

Emerging Geographies of Conservation and Indigenous Land in Australia

International examples of interactions between Indigenous peoples and the new conservation paradigm come mainly from developing countries and suggest divisions over priorities. As a Western settler society, Australia is at a critical time in conservation and Indigenous peoples' rights. Innovative approaches to conservation are promoted. The role and influence of non-governmental organisations is increasing. Indigenous peoples' rights to land are recognised and Indigenous involvement in conservation is growing. Yet, despite Australia being considered a leader in these arenas, particularly the latter, there has been little analysis of the relationship between innovative approaches to conservation and Indigenous Australians under the new paradigm. This paper describes how the spatial manifestations of approaches under the new conservation paradigm and Indigenous land in Australia are creating new geographies. We identify geographies of overlap, dichotomy and absence. The paper identifies research needs into these geographies, including: examining the influence of ‘recognition’ in engagements between conservation and Indigenous Australians; investigating the impacts of approaches under the new paradigm such as scaling-up, territorialism and differing governance structures on Indigenous Australians; and questioning the social responsibilities of the non-governmental organisations towards Indigenous Australians.     

Contemporary Geographies of Indigenous Rights and Interests in Rural Australia

More than half of Australia's lands and coastal regions are now encompassed within the boundaries of native title claims. The claims and the 'native title communities' who have lodged them are shaping a new geography of Australia's lands and seascapes. These communities derive from traditional ownership and thus have a different, and more fundamentally authoritative, basis to the indigenous 'residential communities' whose representative organisations are the mechanism through which governments have promoted indigenous self-management and which dominate in public affairs. Recognition of native title provides some opportunities for indigenous people to negotiate for benefits which will address their marginalised and economically dependent status but these are limited by the protection given to non-indigenous interests and are often proving they can be very difficult to realise. Overcoming indigenous marginalisation, promoting co-existence between indigenous and other Australians, and securing sustainability in rural regions requires that institutional reform goes beyond legally bounded interpretations of where native title does and does not still exist. Rebuilding indigenous institutions for governance of country is fundamental to achieving necessary change but political will and resources to support the process are critically lacking.     

Some things do change: indigenous rights,geographers and geography in Australia

Using a recent editorial comment in this journal as a focus, this paper reviews the extent to which geography has been implicated in the ‘colonial project’ in Australia. It argues that recent work amongst geographers involved with indigenous Australians reflects a commitment to transcend this colonial past. The paper calls for geographers to work toward a wide‐reaching decolonisation of the discipline, and to develop a better understanding of the contemporary legacies of geography's colonial past.     

‘Committing to Place’ at the Local Scale: the potential of youth education programs for promoting community participation in regional natural resource management

Emerging approaches to environmental governance require a greater level of community participation than did previous approaches in which these responsibilities largely rested with government agencies. There is consequently a need for increased engagement with NRM among a broad community sector. This paper examines initiatives by two prominent government agencies, the Murray–Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) and the National Museum of Australia (NMA), to engage school children from regional communities using education programs that focus on place and environmental health. We focus on the MDBC's International Riverhealth Conference held in Mildura in 2003 and the associated Murray–Darling Basin TalkBack Classroom sponsored by the NMA and the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO). We explore how key themes of local scale, place-based identities, youth voice and critical engagement are developed in these programs and consider how they relate to the environmental agency of children. We then reflect on the potential for the kinds of environmental agency promoted through these programs to help build the capacity of local communities to progress larger goals of environmental restoration and sustainability in the Murray–Darling Basin. The evaluation research reported here forms part of the Committing to Place research project, an Australian Research Council Linkage grant involving the University of Tasmania, the National Museum of Australia and the Murray–Darling Basin Commission.     

批判地缘政治学视角下原住民组织对北极事务的参与和影响

从自发组建的非政府组织到北极事务中颇具影响力的权力组织,原住民组织已经成长为北极事务中不可忽视的利益攸关方。在获取北极事务参与权及实施行动决策中,北极原住民组织展现了独特的思考和实践。基于批判地缘政治学的理论视角观察因纽特环北极理事会为代表的原住民组织的发展历程,发现：（1）北极原住民组织强调基于文本生产的知识权力获取方式;（2）制度性参与是原住民组织的主要行动路径。北极事务参与权的获取及针对性行动策略的实施帮助原住民组织成功影响和重塑了北极的治理理念、身份认同与地理空间,推动北极地区向着善治和良治发展。通过对因纽特环北极理事会案例的解析,可以为中国拓展自身在北极地区的合作空间提供参考。     

协作式环境管理在粤港澳大湾区中的应用——以跨界河治理为例

以粤港澳大湾区跨界河流治理的协作机制为代表,选取淡水河、深圳河与鸭涌河为例进行梳理与比较分析,分别探讨了以粤内、粤港与粤澳为核心的伙伴关系在协作式河流规划治理中的协作异同。结果发现:1)淡水河、深圳河与鸭涌河分别是以多级政府部门管理决策主导、多元主体参与和政府政策主导的协作机制。2)协作过程均存在规划目标不一致、囿于双边协作、公众协作意识薄弱和未形成可持续的协作机制等问题。3)行政体制是影响跨界河治理的表面因素,内在因素为参与主体达成伙伴关系的不同,最终通过协作模式、规划信息以及机制设计等差异影响治理结果。最后对建构粤港澳大湾区环境管理协作机制提出政策建议。     

国外滨海湿地管理的理论进展和实践经验

近年来,我国滨海湿地保护不力,存在法律缺失、多部门管理、中央和地方权责不清等问题。总结了近年来资源环境管理领域的理论进展,梳理了美国、荷兰、日本、韩国、澳大利亚等国在滨海湿地管理的法律制度、管理机制、决策管理、公众参与等方面的经验,为我国提升滨海湿地管理水平提供参考与借鉴。     

Beyond technical details: The stalled Kwabenya Engineered Sanitary Landfill Project in Accra,Ghana

Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography 111(2):169–179, 2011

The development of a modern, sustainable system of waste management in developing countries is frequently delayed (and in some cases stalled) by causes that cannot be directly attributed to technical or economic reasons. One such project is the Kwabenya Engineered Sanitary Landfill Project which was conceived in 1991. This paper examines why the project was not actualized though the technical details and financial component were duly secured. Using mainly a qualitative research method, the study revealed that the authority's poor governance practices spelt the doom of the project. Neither were the direct occupants of the land consulted during the project formulation stage nor were the host community's fear of environmental reprisals addressed. This paper maintains that successful implementation of projects like a landfill demands the collective participation and acceptability of all stakeholders.     

基于管治理念的滇中城市群区域协调发展机制探究

城市群发展的核心问题是区域协调,解决的途径是管治。区域协调机制的建立,是发挥区域整体优势和提升竞争力的一项重要工作。基于管治理念的滇中城市群区域协调发展机制的实施,有助于打破缺乏协调和参与的管理格局,主张各方通过协商达到管理的科学性和合理性,通过建立常设性协调机构和协调会议制度,就滇中城市群规划的编制、区域性建设项目的确定和选址、省域规划和市域规划的编制和协调、空间管治区范围的划定等区域性事项进行协商并促进项目合作,利用年度实施报告制度、动态监控信息系统、规划督察员制度等监督规划实施。并且在各个阶段均通过专家咨询、相关利益团体、行业代表单位、公共参与制度等加强实施监督。     

Thinking outside the framework: equitable research partnerships for environmental research in Australia

Many environmental science research programmes now adopt community-based philosophies and designs, although there are few applications in Australian Indigenous communities. This research describes the development and testing of a framework of engagement to guide collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians during an environmental sciences research project. That project aimed to assess trepang (sea cucumber) stocks in Aboriginal waters, and determine the commercial harvest potential of the resource to local people. Its objectives were to undertake trepang survey and mapping, integrate Indigenous knowledge about the resource, and model the existing catch data of commercial fishers operating in the region. The framework of engagement developed to guide the research process comprised a goal, research stages, and a number of guiding principles for collaboration, which were constructed from content analysis of available guidelines and literature and from data gathered during expert interviews. Further data were gathered using participant observation, while implementing the trepang research in accordance with this framework of engagement, and these data were analysed to test and evaluate the framework. Findings indicate discursive and reflective approaches such as action research or adaptive management may better facilitate equitable research partnerships for sustainable development.     

Promises and Perils of Decentralized Forest Governance: The Case of Indonesia's Forest Management Units in Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)

Indonesia's forest management unit (Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan or KPH) system can be a promising mechanism for balancing international and national interests for global carbon mitigation initiatives with local interests in project implementation. We discuss the potential role of the KPH system in implementing REDD+ (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) projects and improving decentralized forest governance. Substantial financial gains from international initiatives like REDD+ and others can provide appropriate motivation for the central government to ensure successful decentralization of forest management. Development and implementation of REDD+ activities can also support the KPHs in performing their basic functions: conducting forest inventory, developing and implementing forest management plans, and strengthening communication and coordination with local communities. However, engaging indigenous peoples and local communities, which is a legal mandate for the system, will require building some measure of democratic process that can hold the KPHs accountable to local people.     

大理洱海旅游环境治理事件中的主体博弈与权益协商

以大理洱海环境治理事件为典型案例,基于半结构式访谈、观察法等质性方法,从环境正义视角切入分析洱海环境治理中的主体博弈与权益协商议题。研究发现,洱海的环境治理是一种以环境名义开展地社会治理与目的地管理过程,逐渐从治理水环境延伸至环境、民生、产业升级等多方面的综合治理;洱海治理隐含权力张力与利益冲突,本地村民、旅游经营者及地方基层政府三方基于合情、合理与合法性原则,围绕“情、理、法”逻辑进行利益博弈与协商;乡村旅游中的环境治理应置于乡村与社会治理框架体系下进行,关照民生与发展。环境正义理论可解释乡村旅游中的环境治理与冲突现象,为揭示环境治理背后的利益冲突与社会问题提供独特视角。     

Assessing participatory GIS for community-based natural resource management: claiming community forests in Cameroon

This paper critically reviews and analyses participatory GIS (PGIS) and participatory mapping applications within participatory spatial planning for community-based natural resource management in developing countries. There is an often implicit assumption that PGIS use is effective, in that it meets content needs, satisfies underlying local stakeholder interests and therefore is a tool for better governance. The analytical framework looks at participatory spatial planning performance with respect to key dimensions of governance, especially the intensity of community participation and empowerment, equity within communities and between 'governed' and 'governing', respect for indigenous knowledge, rights, ownership, legitimacy, and effectiveness. Specific development focus is given by a case study using participatory mapping and PGIS in community forest legitimization, planning and management in Tinto, Cameroon. 'Good governance' criteria are applied ex-post to the implementation procedures, the geo-information outputs, and the longer-term outcomes of the PGIS processes. Impacts of incorporating PGIS were examined in terms of the types and degrees of participation in the process; access to, and the uses made of, the geographic information; whether the information outputs met stakeholders' requirements; and the overall changes in equity and empowerment in the community. It was found that PGIS/participatory mapping processes contributed – positively, though not comprehensively – to good governance, by improving dialogue, redistributing resource access and control rights – though not always equitably – legitimizing and using local knowledge, exposing local stakeholders to geospatial analysis, and creating some actor empowerment through training. PGIS promoted empowerment by supporting community members' participation in decision-making and actions, and by enabling land use planning decisions beyond community forestry itself.     

Public Participation in Rural Environmental Governance around the Water Source of Xiqin Water Works in Fujian

Public participation is an important way to improve the overall effect and social recognition of rural environmental governance in water source areas. Public participation makes environmental governance measures more targeted and effective, contributes to protecting the basic environmental rights of the public, and makes it easier to meet the livelihood needs of rural people. Public participation in rural environmental governance in water source areas is characterized by complex behavior and is dependent on public willingness to participate. Amongst other factors, it is subject to the combined influences of both internal (psychological cognition) and external (environmental regulation) conditions. This paper builds a theoretical framework for understanding public participation behavior in rural environmental governance, and uses it to analyze a case in the rural area surrounding the Xiqin Water Works in Fujian Province. In the case study, the public shows high willingness to participate, but low actual rates of participation. At the same time, the willingness of villagers to pay for the control of pollution from livestock and poultry breeding varies greatly from village to village, and there are also noticeable individual differences in public participation in the use of public collection points for rural household waste. We found that gender, understandings of environmental protection and perception of environmental regulation, play a key role in influencing the willingness of farmers to pay for the control of pollution from livestock and poultry breeding. Individual awareness of environmental protection, environmental protection facility conditions, and environmental service quality had a significant influence on public participation in the use of public collection points for rural household waste.     

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Formal and Informal Institutional Synergy in a Case Study of Wildlife Governance in Ghana

Abstract

There has been the call to forge a synergistic relationship between local ecological knowledge and formal institutions in the governance of natural resources. How do informal institutions complement the efforts of formal state regulation of natural resources? How does this complementation foster a regularized human–wildlife interaction? Adopting an ethnographic design, this study assesses the role of institutional complementation in natural resource governance using the case of Boabeng–Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana, West Africa. We purposively selected 33 informants relevant to the BFMS governance process. The study observes that the synergy between formal and informal institutions strengthens wildlife protection in BFMS and the surrounding villages. The usefulness of informal rules is enhanced if appropriately complemented with a formal institutional arrangement. Over time, it becomes necessary for informal rules to grow in dynamism to depict the principles of collaboration, inclusivity, and benefit arrangements.     

环保组织的社区领域建构策略及其环境治理影响

现有的环境政治文献多关注环境治理中多元主体之间的互动和策略,尤其是国家与环保组织之间的权力关系,但对权力在空间上的领域特征及其实践影响探讨不足。通过对一个国际环保组织乡村水资源保育项目的田野观察,分析了该组织在近十年的社区领域建构策略演化,并探讨动态的领域化过程如何影响环境治理的形式、范围和效果。研究发现：（1）环保组织通过与不同层级政府建立差异化联系,能够在农村社区中建构相对独立的社会领域,自主开展环保活动,但与农村社区之间的隔离也限制了环保项目进一步发展的空间;（2）环保组织通过融入本土社会关系网络的策略调整,重新建构了更具流动性、融合性的社会领域,为项目发展提供了新的动力;（3）面对长期的资源挑战,环保组织通过培育本土组织来保持自身在社区“飞地”的长期影响,但“代理人”在融合后的新领域空间内却难以再维持独立性和专业性,从而制约了公众参与环保的范围和效果。通过动态的领域化过程及其影响,解释了环境治理和环保组织发展的规律,为认识国家-环保组织-社区之间的关系提供了新视角。     

Palaeosurfaces and major valleys in the area of the Kjǿlen Mountains,southern Norway - consequences of uplift and climatic change

Protected area management in Norway is undergoing institutional changes with the implementation of management models aimed at increased public participation. At the same time tourism enterprises are increasing in number within the protected areas. Greater levels of interaction with stakeholders place new demands on lead institutions in terms of communication, transparency, involvement, and power sharing. A governance perspective was used to examine some facets of the interaction between a local council managing a national park in Norway and tourism companies using the park for their operations. The main objective was to assess how the tourism sector perceives the cooperation and interface with the management institution. Semi-structured interviews were used, together with a framework of United Nations Development Programme principles of good governance: legitimacy and voice, direction, performance, accountability, and fairness. The results showed rather negative evaluations by the tourism sector, and operators expressed views, implying that the current management model fails to achieve most of the principles of good governance. Although based on a one-sided view by one group of stakeholders, the study suggests that lack of access to important processes and decisions, perceived bias towards traditional conservation, neglect of cultural heritage, and undue restrictions on access could have serious implications for developing an effective management model.     

REVISITING THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: TRANSMILLENNIAL CONJURINGS*

ABSTRACT. Ever anxious about real and apparent “identity” crises, Australians have in recent years been increasingly better served by interdisciplinary academic writings. A common theme is the clarification and resolution of recurrent national uncertainty. Others, intimately related, include the divide between indigenous and imported conceptualizations, especially notions of sacredness, together with broadly targeted historical interpretations of environmentalism, environmental management, and violent social clashes on settlement frontiers. Although these academic writings represent welcome additions to civic scholarship, they are also variously influenced, and their purchase on the public imagination limited, by the effects of current intellectual trends. While it might be expected that fictional exemplars would address place‐making and place‐securing in rather more comfortable fashion, they have not been immune to similar destabilizations. Nonetheless, one intriguing, problematical work makes a useful civic point in dealing creatively with Australia's epidemic of premillennial doubt.