The challenges of participatory and systemic environmental management: from aspiration to implementation

Participatory and systemic approaches in environmental management are advocated as they are thought to lead to more equitable, resilient and integrated solutions. However, there is mounting evidence that, in practice, these approaches are exceedingly challenging and do not always lead to improved environmental management, or greater community engagement. To better understand the challenges facing organisations wishing to use these approaches, we monitored the dynamics of a decision-making process on an estate. We observed an oscillating pattern of widening and narrowing participation and integration. Three key factors created tensions with the estate's desires to increase community participation and follow a more systemic approach: stewardship values, organisational capacity and unresolved core issues. A combination of these tensions and other factors led to the early cessation of a series of planned participatory workshops. We conclude that academia needs to take these challenges seriously by placing greater emphasis on multi-dimensional, transdisciplinary analysis of such transformation processes.

环境管理领域的参与式与系统性方法备受推崇，因其被认为能够催生更具公平性、韧性与融合性的解决方案。然而，日益增多的实证证据表明，在实际应用中，此类方法往往极具挑战性，且未必总能实现环境管理效能的提升或是扩大社区参与度。为更好地理解拟采用此类方法的机构所面临的挑战，我们对某一管护区域的决策过程动态展开了监测。我们观测到参与范围与融合程度呈现出扩张与收窄交替波动的模式。三大核心因素与该管护区域提升社区参与度、采用更系统性方法的诉求产生了矛盾：管护价值观（Stewardship Values）、机构能力以及未决核心议题。上述矛盾与其他多重因素共同作用，导致一系列规划中的参与式研讨会提前终止。本研究最终指出，学界需正视此类挑战，进一步强化对这类转型过程的多维度跨学科分析。