Adaptive governance and bridging organisations by Lisen Schultz

1. Adaptive governance and bridging organisations
– case studies from local to global scales
Lisen Schultz, Stockholm Resilience Centre, lisen.schultz@su.se

2. Adaptive governance
• Real-world phenomenon (state and non-state
actors at multiple levels collaborate to deal with
social-ecological issues)
• Analytical framework (studying the interplay
between actors, networks, organisations,
institutions)
• Prescriptive (suggested as a way to deal with
complex social-ecological issues)
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3. Definition of adaptive governance
”Adaptive governance refers to flexible and learning-
based collaborations and decision-making processes
involving both state and non-state actors with the aim
to adaptively negotiate and coordinate management
of SES” (Schultz et al. 2015, PNAS)
Involves (according to Folke et al. 2005):
– Building knowledge of ecosystem dynamics
– Feeding knowledge into adaptive management practices
– Supporting multi-level governance systems and
institutions
– Dealing with change, disturbance and uncertainty
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4. Curbing illegal fisheries
in the Southern Ocean
Restoring cultural
landscapes in
Kristianstads Vattenrike
Rezoning the Great
Barrier Reef
Three adaptive governance initiatives

5. 5
Kristianstads Vattenrike Great Barrier Reef Southern Oceans
Guiding vision To maintain, develop and
support sustainable use of the
cultural and natural values in
Kristianstads Vattenrike
To ensure that all human uses of
the Park are ecologically
sustainable and that the
ecosystem's natural functions,
especially resilience, are
maintained
To preserve the waters
surrounding the Antarctic
continent for peaceful purposes
only and to prevent their
becoming the scene or object of
international discord
Area and ecosystem
services in focus
1,040 km² of cultural landscapes
Cultural (recreational,
educational, heritage)
Regulating (flood regulation,
water purification)
Provisioning (food, fresh water)
Supporting (habitat for more
than 700 nationally red-listed
species),
345,000 km² of coral reef
Cultural (world heritage,
indigenous hunting, tourism,
recreation)
Regulating (storm protection)
Provisioning (seafood,
medicines, aquarium fish)
Supporting (habitat for coral,
fish, dolphins etc)
20,327,000 km² of ocean
Cultural (pristine ecosystems to
be conserved for the benefit of
mankind, including charismatic
seabirds)
Provisioning (fish stocks)
Supporting (benthic habitats),
Levels of governance
(primary level of
bridging organisation
in bold)
Sub-municipal (Landowners and
associations)
Municipal (Kristianstad)
Regional (Skåne County),
National (Swedish EPA)
International (UNESCO MAB)
Local (communities and
associations)
State (Queensland)
National (GBRMPA)
International (UNESCO WH)
Sub-national (Fish industries and
environmental NGOs)
National (several member states
within CCAMLR
International (CCAMLR and other
international org.)
Actor groups involved State actors, Resource users,
Conservation NGOs, Academic
institutions, Local associations,
Landowners
State actors, Resource users,
Conservation NGOs, Academic
institutions, Local associations,
Indigenous groups
State actors, Resource users,
Conservation NGOs, Academic
institutions
Scope and organisation

6. • awakening crisis
• reframing of the human–nature relation (key
individuals)
• umbrella concepts (knowledge, networks,
institutions)
• bridging organization connecting sectors and scales
Common pattern of emergence

7. • Kristianstads Vattenrike: restoration of wetlands
and sandy grasslands, enhanced access to
recreation and education
• Great Barrier Reef: increase of non-take areas
(5%33%)  abundance and size of fish increased,
decrease of coral-eating starfish outbreaks
• Southern Ocean: increased quota for licenced
fisheries, reduced mortalities of seabirds
Clear effects on natural capital (ecosystem
services)

8. Respond to new challenges
• KV: brownification of water, decline in certain bird
populations
• GBR: rising seawater temperatures, ocean
acidification, water pollution from terrestrial runoff,
dredging, port development
• SO: to establish a protected area is a politically
contentious issue

9. Key features of AG:
Illuminating contrasts
KV vs Natura 2000:
Connecting regional policies to local
engagement is key
GBR vs Maine lobster fisheries:
Seeing the whole ecosystem with
multiple ecosystem services and
beneficiaries is key for responding
SO vs EU fishery policies: Connecting
formal and informal institutions, actors
and networks for compliance is key

10. Definition of bridging organization (Crona
and Parker 2012)
• Organisation that link diverse actors or groups
through a strategic bridging process
• More formalized (own personel, resources) than
informal social networks
• Broader than boundary organisations
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11. Bridging organizations (Schultz 2009)
• Connect vertically as well as horizontally – link
networks and institutions
• Generate social-ecological knowledge and support
learning
• Facilitate and protect collaboration – mobilize
actors and resources, build trust, resolve conflicts,
align interests
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12. Bridging organizations, adaptive
governance, networks
• Bridging organisations (or individuals performing
bridging functions) are crucial for successful
governance (Berkes 2009)
• Adaptive governance brings different types of
networks together (stewardship networks,
governance networks), coordinated by bridging
organisations (Schultz et al. 2007, Hahn 2011)

13. Strategies of bridging organizations
(Kristianstads Vattenrike)
• Systems view: ecosystem management is
connected to social and economic development
• Flexible organisation: small core team + networks
tailored to each project
• Strategic collaboration: build on and encourage
local knowledge and local engagement
• Begin small scale, demonstrating good examples
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14. Strategies of BOs (KV continued)
• Invest in face-to-face communication
• Facilitate learning about natural values (outdoor
museum, web site, meetings etc)
• Formalize the initially volontary commitments (eg.
through becoming a Biosphere Reserve, and
through contracts with land-owners)
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15. Strategies of bridging organisations
(Crona and Parker 2012)
• Provide a politically neutral space
• Produces boundary objects to align interests
• Negotiate power relations
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16. • Collaboration across
scales
• Networks tailored to
each project
• Shared vision about
Kristianstads
Vattenrike
The bridging organisation Ecomuseum
Kristianstads Vattenrike

17. The bridging organisation of Kristianstads Vattenrike

18. National actors
International actors
Ecosystem
Local actors
Bridging organisation

19. Challenges of bridging organisations
• Remaining adaptive
• Remaining innovative
• Remaining legitimate
• Accountability
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