The role of stakeholder engagement in conservation : integrating ecological sciences and participatory methods in a Mediterranean island context

Abstract

Decision-making in the Mediterranean has traditionally been influenced by the natural sciences, particularly where environmental resources are concerned. Conservation practices are largely a synthetic construct whose roots lie within the notion of biodiversity preservation alone rather than on the holistic concept of sustainability. The fact that protected areas are selected on the basis of their ecological assets is evidence of such trend. However, ecosystems are intricately linked to human affairs. Indeed, there is widespread recognition regarding the necessity to extend narrow reserve-based approaches to a broader, more holistic view to conservation through landscape management, which encompasses the seminatural and cultural dimensions. In a region such as the Mediterranean, where natural resources are especially vulnerable due to a significant human footprint and considerable land-use conflict, and where biodiversity hotspots are pocketed into refugia, the challenge is to integrate biodiversity conservation with the sustainable management of land resources. Planning at broad spatial scales to achieve conservation aims within the context of a mosaic of land-uses is an essential aspect of an integrated landscape approach. This study seeks to address a key constraint in conservation, namely, the gap between the domain of natural science and stakeholder concerns/involvement. The approach implemented aims to bridge this gap by combining specialist input and that of other stakeholders through a hybrid expert-driven/participatory process. The study site selected is Gozo, comprising Mediterranean rural landscapes surrounding a network of hotspots bearing high ecological value. Results obtained are prioritised through the application of conservation value appraisal criteria, following which the involvement of key actors was sought through a soft systems approach of systemic sustainability analysis. This participatory process identified prevailing pressures operating at landscape scale. In turn, these were ranked by a broad selection of stakeholders. The value of such research is its applicability to the wider Mediterranean context.