Interdisciplinary conflict analysis and conflict mitigation in local resource management

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Social Science
• Resource Management

Background:

• Swedish research program SUCOZOMA focused on Sustainable Coastal Zone Management.
• Previous studies detailed specific conflict research results, necessitating a synthesized overview.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and generalize key findings from SUCOZOMA's resource and conflict studies.
• To present the integrated methodology used for analyzing environmental and resource use conflicts.

Main Methods:

• Interdisciplinary and theoretical research on environmental and resource use conflicts.
• Combined stakeholder and conflict analysis: mapping stakeholders, analyzing conflicts, developing mitigation methods, and integrating into management systems.
• Case studies on the Swedish west and east coasts, including fisheries, aquaculture, and species protection conflicts.

Main Results:

• Identified key stakeholders and their interests in coastal resource use.
• Analyzed various resource use conflicts, including those between species protection and coastal fisheries.
• Developed and tested methods for conflict mitigation and cooperation.

Conclusions:

• Integrated conflict management is crucial for sustainable coastal zone management.
• The role of scientists as stakeholders in conflict research requires special attention.
• Effective management involves knowledge transfer, institutional development, and cooperation between scientists and resource users.