Title: 'Environmental governance' and 'ecosystem management': avenues for synergies between two approaches

Authors: Sara Söderström; Kristine Kern; Magnus Boström; Michael Gilek

Addresses: School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 14189, Huddinge, Sweden ' Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (IRS), Flakenstraße 28-31, 15537 Erkner, Germany; Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, University of Potsdam, August-Bebel-Straße 89, 14482 Potsdam, Germany ' School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden ' School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 14189 Huddinge, Sweden

Abstract: Based on a literature review of over 160 journal articles and books, this article examines the ecosystem management and environmental governance approaches, and looks for common topics and integrated research agendas. While scientific articles on environmental governance stem primarily from social science research, the ecosystem management approach is more natural science-oriented. A review of journal articles from the ISI Web of Knowledge (Web of Science) reveals that the two research communities hardly interact. The paper discusses two thematic linkages between the two approaches: the debates dealing with the scale and level of environmental policy; and the discussions surrounding multi-stakeholder participation. Moreover, the article identifies areas with a high potential for the establishment of common ground, such as the current discussion on science-policy interfaces. We argue for more interaction, claim that the two research approaches can learn from each other, and discuss the potential for the development of interdisciplinary research agendas.

Keywords: environmental governance; ecosystem management; environmental policy scale; environmental policy level; multi-stakeholder participation; science-policy interfaces; multiple stakeholders; literature review; interdisciplinary research.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2016.074871

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2016 Vol.17 No.1, pp.1 - 19

Received: 25 Oct 2014
Accepted: 06 Mar 2015

Published online: 22 Feb 2016 *

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