Assessing collaborative environmental governance : a case study of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve in South Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : Under the current trajectory of declining biodiversity and environmental problems, several initiatives have emerged to promote sustainable development. One such initiative that provides the platform for reconciling the often conflicting imperatives of conservation and socio-economic development is the concept of biosphere reserves. One way the biosphere reserve concept functions is through collaboration and deliberate stakeholders engagement. Thus, this study assessed the effect of collaborative governance on environmental and socio-economic development outcomes in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (KBR) in South Africa. Using a review of existing literature, an assessment framework for collaborative governance was developed, comprising of an iterative circle of system context, dynamics and outcomes. The system context entails the elements that dictate the conditions within which collaborative governance evolves, the dynamics are the factors that stimulate or influence collaboration and determine how the process turns out, and outcomes are the results and benefits that are derived from collaboration. This assessment framework was applied to the KBR case study, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies comprising interviews, and analysis of relevant publications and reports written about the KBR. In total about twenty five people from the public sectors, private institutions, businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations, academia and the community were interviewed. Using a list of pre-defined themes from the literature, a content analysis of the interview findings and documents was done, exploring the themes of institutional, environmental and socio-economic development outcomes of collaboration. In answering the research question 'What is the effect of collaboration on environmental and socio-economic development outcomes in a biosphere reserve?', the study first note a strong correlation between collaboration and outcomes, in the sense that where there is collaboration, there are positive outcomes, and where there is a lack of collaboration, expected results are not achieved. Secondly, the study found that where environmental conservation does not promote socio-economic development, outcomes are not sustainable. Collaboration in the KBR, has, to some extent, improved certain outcomes, particularly those relating to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and awareness creation. The same, however, cannot be said about the socio-economic development outcomes, which the study found are not adequately addressed. Hence, in the light of the above findings, there is a need for the KBR to revisit its core strategic objectives, to ensure that its conservation and socio-economic development goals are integrated and fairly balanced in order to ensure sustainability.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University