Diving beneath Swedish protected waters : understanding governance and management of the HELCOM Marine Protected Areas (HELCOM MPAs) in Skåne, Sweden.
(2020) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20201LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
- Abstract
- Marine protection has gained global attention following international and national goals for coverage percentages of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with effective management. In the Baltic Sea, a network of HELCOM MPAs has been established to contribute to international goals through regional collaboration. As part of the Baltic Sea Area, Sweden has also set targets for marine protection. Unfortunately, the environmental status of marine environments is considered unsatisfactory and the governance and management have not fulfilled the needs for a sustainable use of the marine resources. On top of this, increasing international pressure from targets, also increases the demands and challenges for a resilient governance and an effective... (More)
- Marine protection has gained global attention following international and national goals for coverage percentages of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with effective management. In the Baltic Sea, a network of HELCOM MPAs has been established to contribute to international goals through regional collaboration. As part of the Baltic Sea Area, Sweden has also set targets for marine protection. Unfortunately, the environmental status of marine environments is considered unsatisfactory and the governance and management have not fulfilled the needs for a sustainable use of the marine resources. On top of this, increasing international pressure from targets, also increases the demands and challenges for a resilient governance and an effective management in MPAs.
This thesis brings understanding of the governance and management of four HELCOM MPAs in Skåne as a questioning point for the achievement of international and national goals for marine protection in Sweden. Using literature review, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, an interdisciplinary research approach is applied through the Marine Protected Area Governance framework under the concepts of Social-Ecological Resilience in the HELCOM MPAs in Skåne as complex Social-Ecological Systems. The framework is employed for the recognition of the governance and management structure and characterization, as well as the incentives applied as conservation strategies, and the arisen gaps and challenges. Finally, interconnectedness of core incentives through a Systems Thinking approach is developed in a Causal Loop Diagram. The results indicate that the HELCOM MPAs in Skåne have been implemented and managed through a decentralization process with a certain control from the state. A diverse set of incentives has been applied under the 5 categories of the framework. However, state funding, collaborative platforms, awareness, and uncertainty are some of the incentives that present gaps and challenges with a need for their interconnectedness for improvement and the achievement of positive social-ecological outcomes through a resilient governance and an effective management.
The study of social and ecological spheres of MPAs is essential for questioning the implementation of current and future goals for marine conservation, where focusing on coverage percentages can mislead the intention of their implementation and generate further negative social and environmental impacts in the long-term. Indeed, diving under protected waters for the understanding of governance and management, as well as the diversity and interconnectedness of incentives within MPAs, such as the HELCOM MPAs in Skåne, is essential for a social-ecological resilience in the protected environments and the overall health of the oceans. (Less) - Abstract (Spanish)
- La protección de los ecosistemas marinos ha ganado atención global siguiendo los objetivos nacionales e internacionales de porcentajes de cobertura de Áreas Marinas Protegidas (AMPs) con una gestión eficaz. En el Mar Báltico, se ha establecido una red de AMP HELCOM para la contribución hacia objetivos internacionales a través de una colaboración regional. Como parte del del mar Báltico, Suecia también ha establecido objetivos para la protección marina. Desafortunadamente, el estado ambiental de los ecosistemas marinos no se considera satisfactorio y la gobernanza y la gestión no han satisfecho las necesidades de un uso sostenible de los recursos marinos. Además, la creciente presión internacional de los objetivos, también aumenta las... (More)
- La protección de los ecosistemas marinos ha ganado atención global siguiendo los objetivos nacionales e internacionales de porcentajes de cobertura de Áreas Marinas Protegidas (AMPs) con una gestión eficaz. En el Mar Báltico, se ha establecido una red de AMP HELCOM para la contribución hacia objetivos internacionales a través de una colaboración regional. Como parte del del mar Báltico, Suecia también ha establecido objetivos para la protección marina. Desafortunadamente, el estado ambiental de los ecosistemas marinos no se considera satisfactorio y la gobernanza y la gestión no han satisfecho las necesidades de un uso sostenible de los recursos marinos. Además, la creciente presión internacional de los objetivos, también aumenta las demandas y desafíos para una gobernanza resiliente y una gestión eficaz en las AMP.
Esta tesis contribuye a la comprensión de la gobernanza y la gestión de las cuatro AMP de HELCOM en Scania, como un punto de cuestionamiento para el logro de los objetivos nacionales e internacionales actuales para la protección de ecosistemas marinos en Suecia. Mediante la revisión de literatura, entrevistas semiestructuradas y análisis de documentos, un enfoque de investigación interdisciplinario es aplicado a través del marco de Gobernanza de Áreas Marinas Protegidas bajo los conceptos de resiliencia social-ecológica en las AMPs HELCOM en Scania como sistemas sociales-ecológicos complejos. El marco se ha empleado para el reconocimiento de la estructura y caracterización de gobernanza y manejo, así como los incentivos aplicados como estrategias de conservación, y las brechas y desafíos surgidos. Finalmente, la interconexión de los incentivos centrales a través de un enfoque de pensamiento sistémico se ha desarrollado a través de un diagrama de ciclos causales. Los resultados indican que las AMP HELCOM en Scania se han implementado y gestionado a través de un proceso de descentralización con cierto control por parte del estado. Se ha aplicado un conjunto diverso de incentivos en las 5 categorías del marco. Sin embargo, el financiamiento estatal, las plataformas colaborativas, la conciencia e incertidumbre, como algunos de los incentivos que presentan brechas y desafíos, se han identificado con la necesidad de reconocer su interconexión para mejorar y lograr resultados sociales-ecológicos positivos a través de una gobernanza resiliente y una gestión eficaz.
El estudio de los ámbitos tanto sociales como ecológicos de las AMP, es fundamental para cuestionar la implementación de las metas actuales y futuras de conservación marina, donde el enfoque en porcentajes de cobertura corre el riesgo de desviar la intención de su implementación y generar mayores impactos negativos en las sociedades y ambientes a largo plazo. En efecto, adentrarse en aguas protegidas para comprender la gobernanza y la gestión, así como la diversidad e interconexión de incentivos en las AMP, como las AMP HELCOM en Scania, es esencial para una resiliencia social-ecológica en los ecosistemas protegidos y para la salud general de los océanos. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9031579
- author
- Cervantes Becerra, Maria Andrea LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MESM02 20201
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Baltic Sea, Marine Protected Area Governance, Social-Ecological Systems, Systems Thinking, marineprotection, conservation goals, Sustainability Science
- publication/series
- Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
- report number
- 2020:055
- language
- English
- id
- 9031579
- date added to LUP
- 2020-11-05 08:25:26
- date last changed
- 2020-11-05 08:25:26
@misc{9031579,
abstract = {{Marine protection has gained global attention following international and national goals for coverage percentages of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with effective management. In the Baltic Sea, a network of HELCOM MPAs has been established to contribute to international goals through regional collaboration. As part of the Baltic Sea Area, Sweden has also set targets for marine protection. Unfortunately, the environmental status of marine environments is considered unsatisfactory and the governance and management have not fulfilled the needs for a sustainable use of the marine resources. On top of this, increasing international pressure from targets, also increases the demands and challenges for a resilient governance and an effective management in MPAs.
This thesis brings understanding of the governance and management of four HELCOM MPAs in Skåne as a questioning point for the achievement of international and national goals for marine protection in Sweden. Using literature review, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, an interdisciplinary research approach is applied through the Marine Protected Area Governance framework under the concepts of Social-Ecological Resilience in the HELCOM MPAs in Skåne as complex Social-Ecological Systems. The framework is employed for the recognition of the governance and management structure and characterization, as well as the incentives applied as conservation strategies, and the arisen gaps and challenges. Finally, interconnectedness of core incentives through a Systems Thinking approach is developed in a Causal Loop Diagram. The results indicate that the HELCOM MPAs in Skåne have been implemented and managed through a decentralization process with a certain control from the state. A diverse set of incentives has been applied under the 5 categories of the framework. However, state funding, collaborative platforms, awareness, and uncertainty are some of the incentives that present gaps and challenges with a need for their interconnectedness for improvement and the achievement of positive social-ecological outcomes through a resilient governance and an effective management.
The study of social and ecological spheres of MPAs is essential for questioning the implementation of current and future goals for marine conservation, where focusing on coverage percentages can mislead the intention of their implementation and generate further negative social and environmental impacts in the long-term. Indeed, diving under protected waters for the understanding of governance and management, as well as the diversity and interconnectedness of incentives within MPAs, such as the HELCOM MPAs in Skåne, is essential for a social-ecological resilience in the protected environments and the overall health of the oceans.}},
author = {{Cervantes Becerra, Maria Andrea}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
title = {{Diving beneath Swedish protected waters : understanding governance and management of the HELCOM Marine Protected Areas (HELCOM MPAs) in Skåne, Sweden.}},
year = {{2020}},
}