Knowledge integration in the management of coastal conflicts in urban areas: two cases from Sweden

Abstract

High anthropogenic pressure on coastal ecosystems, competition for natural resources and climate change are major challenges to the sustainable management of coastal areas. Two cases of resource use conflicts in coastal urban areas in the south and west of Sweden analysed here illustrate these challenges. The social practices of using and integrating knowledge and joint learning in conflict resolution show that dominant actors and their knowledge practices have a strong influence on conflict resolution and its outcomes. Improved conflict resolution requires more efforts to achieve knowledge integration and joint learning of stakeholders in open, dialogue-based strategies in all phases of the resolution process.

Keywords:

• natural resource use
• coastal conflicts
• resource management
• urban areas
• Sweden
• sustainable development

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the European Commission through the research project SECOA (Solutions to Environmental Contrasts in Coastal Areas; (Seventh Framework Program 2007–2013, Grant Agreement no. 244251), and thanks the four anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.