A critical assessment of a protected area conflict analysis based on secondary data in the age of datafication.

Recently, a global trend towards a broader use of secondary data in social sciences has been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This evoked doubts about the validity of the results unless restrictive assessment procedures are implemented. To address this need in the field of protected area (PA) conflict analysis, we propose a three-fold approach (theory-, method-, and cross-scale simulation-driven) to assess the usefulness of the utilized state register dataset and the indicator analysis methodology for the multi-level recognition of PA conflict determinants. With the ultimate aim to inform case study selection, we processed 187 relevant indicators from the official Statistics Poland register for a Lesser Poland region. We distinguished five types of PA conflict determinants in Lesser Poland ('urbanity', 'agriculture', 'tourism', 'small-scale entrepreneurship', and 'sprawl') and respective groups of 15 clusters comprising local-level units. For one cluster, we juxtaposed the obtained results with secondary data from another source (Internet content) and for a specific PA (Tatra National Park). Although the reported conflict issues corresponded to the indicator-derived descriptors of the cluster, in the theory-driven phase of the assessment, the state register failed to address the key prerequisites of PA conflicts. We have demonstrated that, in crisis conditions such as COVID-19, the proposed method can serve as a proxy for a multi-level recognition of PA conflict potentials, provided that it synthesises the results of different methodological approaches, followed by in-person interviews in the selected case studies.

Effects of connection to nature on residents' perceptions of conservation policy justice of Natura 2000.

We examined the effects of human connection to nature on residents' concerns about justice in conservation policies of Natura 2000. Expansion of Natura 2000 conservation network has resulted in local communities having to consider Natura 2000 in their development plans, and justice concerns have been strong in some communities near Natura 2000 sites. We conceptualized Natura 2000 justice within a framework composed of 3 domains of conservation justice: distribution, recognition, and representation. To examine the effect of nature connection on perceived justice of Natura 2000, we conducted a door-to-door survey of rural resident (80.09% response rate) in 3 municipalities of Pomerania in Poland. The effect of connection to nature on perceived distribution of Natura 2000 benefits was positive (b = 0.187, t = 7.057, p < 0.001); perceived communication about Natura 2000 was positive (b = 0.089, t = 2.940 p < 0.01); perception of limitations was positive (b = 0.078, t = 2.416, p < 0.01); perceived recognition was positive (b = 0.117, t = 3.367, p < 0.001); and perceived representation was positive (b = 0.123, t = 5.015, p < 0.001). Our results suggest local residents' bonds with nature matter and they should be considered when new conservation approaches, such as Natura 2000, are introduced.

Efectos de la Conexión de los Residentes con la Naturaleza sobre la Percepción de la Política de Justicia de Conservación de Natura 2000 Stzelecka et al. Resumen Examinamos los efectos de la conexión humana con la naturaleza sobre los intereses de los residentes en cuanto a la justicia en las políticas de conservación de Natura 2000. Como resultado de la expansión de la red de conservación Natura 2000, las comunidades locales han tenido que considerarla dentro de sus planes de desarrollo y el interés por la justicia se ha fortalecido en algunas comunidades cercanas a los sitios de esta red. Definimos la justicia de Natura 2000 dentro de un marco compuesto por tres dominios de justicia de la conservación: distribución, reconocimiento y representación. Para analizar el efecto de la conexión con la naturaleza sobre la justicia percibida de Natura 2000, realizamos una encuesta a domicilio a los residentes rurales (80.09% de respuesta) de tres municipios de Pomerania en Polonia. El efecto de la conexión con la naturaleza fue positivo para las percepciones de la distribución de los beneficios (b = 0.187, t = 7.057, p < 0.001), la comunicación (b = 0.089, t = 2.940 p < 0.01), las limitaciones (b = 0.078, t = 2.416, p < 0.01), el reconocimiento (b = 0.117, t = 3.367, p < 0.001) y la representación (b = 0.123, t = 5.015, p < 0.001) de Natura 2000. Nuestros resultados sugieren que los lazos de los residentes locales con la naturaleza son importantes y deberían considerarse cuando se introduzcan nuevas estrategias de conservación, como Natura 2000.

Contradictory or complementary? Stakeholders' perceptions of a circular economy for single-use plastics.

Single-use plastics (SUPs) represent one of the largest and rapidly growing segments of the plastics industry. The strategies to mitigate plastic hazards has become more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic; SUPs have gained positive health-related attributes among consumers and remain the preferred packaging material. One of the most promising strategies to tackle the SUPs problem is a worldwide transition towards a circular economy (CE) for plastics. Here, we propose the reconceptualization of a CE for SUPs based on an analysis of the perceptions of stakeholders and the public from social, psychological, and communication-related perspectives. Our study utilized focus groups with primary and secondary stakeholders - differing in their power regarding SUP CE governance - and general consumers to identify their perceptions regarding challenges to and solutions for a CE for SUPs, thereby unveiling the potential for trustworthy knowledge co-creation. Our findings demonstrate that trustworthy knowledge-in-action is the primary driver for achieving sustainability transitions across stakeholders and suggest a significant discrepancy between young consumers and producers. Furthermore, we argue that exploring diversified approaches to knowledge co-creation necessitates various disciplinary entry points, ranging from different perspectives (challenges vs. solutions, individual vs. systemic levels, diversity in agenda-setting) to innovative attempts to understand knowledge production behaviour, especially for policymakers. Perceiving scientists as science communicators who can effectively inform involved stakeholders and general consumers and engage them in SUP crisis mitigation actions, the results of our study (jointly created manifest followed by a series of posters) are subject to further research and proposals for policy decisions.

Expansion of nature conservation areas: problems with Natura 2000 implementation in Poland?

In spite of widespread support from most member countries' societies for European Union policy, including support for the sustainable development idea, in many EU countries the levels of acceptance of new environmental protection programmes have been and, in particular in new member states, still are considerably low. The experience of the countries which were the first to implement union directives show that they cannot be effectively applied without widespread public participation. The goal of this study was, using the example of Poland, to assess public acceptance of the expansion of nature conservation in the context of sustainable development principles and to discover whether existing nature governance should be modified when establishing new protected areas. The increase in protected areas in Poland has become a hotbed of numerous conflicts. In spite of the generally favourable attitudes to nature which Polish people generally have, Natura 2000 is perceived as an unnecessary additional conservation tool. Both local authorities and communities residing in the Natura areas think that the programme is a hindrance, rather than a help in the economic development of municipalities or regions, as was initially supposed. This lack of acceptance results from many factors, mainly social, historic and economic. The implications of these findings for current approach to the nature governance in Poland are discussed.