Factors influencing local ecological knowledge maintenance in Mediterranean watersheds: Insights for environmental policies.

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been found to be one of the main bridges to manage biocultural diversity. We analyzed the factors affecting LEK maintenance and transmission in a Mediterranean watershed. We used a mixed methods approach to evaluate the agricultural LEK in three different dimensions: biological, soil and water management, and forecasting. We found that the main factors for its maintenance were the respondent's time living in the area and the social relationships established among farmers, which involved partner collaboration and farmer information exchanges. Protected areas also played a key role for maintaining the LEK associated with soil and water management. Finally, we found that outmigration and mechanization were the most important indirect drivers of change underlying LEK erosion. We suggest that environmental policies should focus on promoting this experiential knowledge, considering both intergenerational renewal and the gendered aspects of this knowledge.

Involvement of citizens in hazardous waste management and use of recycling centres in the city of Madrid (Spain).

In Spain, hazardous household waste management by citizens occurs via fixed recycling centres (FRC) and mobile recycling centres (MRC) which usually depend on local governments. This paper addresses a request by the Madrid City Council, in an attempt to improve the service it provides to the city of Madrid. The aim of the study involved analysing the information people possess in relation to hazardous waste and to the use of available equipment, and conducting a post-evaluation of the effectiveness of an environmental communication campaign conducted by the Madrid City Council and aimed at providing awareness of the existence of new FRCs and MRCs. To this end, a questionnaire was conducted with 5644 inhabitants of the city of Madrid. Qualitative data was categorized using content analysis followed by chi-squared tests, considering some socio-demographic characteristics of the sample, such as age or place of residence (district). Communication campaigns influenced citizen awareness of what constituted hazardous waste, of how to properly separate waste and of the existence of FRCs and MRCs. However, few citizens actually used FRCs or MRC (18% across four districts), a fact that might be related to a lack of knowledge of downstream waste treatment issues, or to self-limiting hindrances to householders, such as distance to recycling centres. It is recommended that future communication campaigns investigate householder needs and pre-conceptions in relation to recycling, as well as tailored education aimed at addressing the barriers, perceived or otherwise, facing citizens.

Criterios para mejorar la gestión y comunicación ambiental en la administración pública. Una investigación mixta en la ciudad de Madrid (España) / Criteria to Improve the Environmental Management and Communication in Public Administration. A Mixed Investigation in the City of Madrid (Spain)

Se presentan dos estudios complementarios que tienen como objetivo analizar la gestión ambiental del municipio de Madrid, desde una perspectiva que considera diversas miradas: la ciudadana, la de los técnicos y la experta. Se ha utilizado el método mixto, que considera tanto técnicas cualitativas como cuantitativas para la recolección de datos. Entre otras, se recurrió al análisis documental, revisión de quejas ciudadanas presentadas al sistema de Sugerencias y Reclamaciones (SyR) del ayuntamiento (N = 932) y la realización de entrevistas a expertos y gestores locales. Los resultados entregan datos que permiten verificar problemas en la gestión y comunicación municipal que perpetúan los conflictos ambientales. En las conclusiones, se valora el rol de la educación ambiental como complemento de otros mecanismos inherentes a la administración (gestión, legislación, inversión). Se generan propuestas para mejorar la gestión ambiental desde la mayor participación y la comunicación con los ciudadanos, como forma de desarrollar acciones educativas y una gestión ambiental más eficiente desde la administración pública.

Two complementary studies, in which experts, technicians and citizens are consulted regarding communication campaigns and environmental management conducted by the City Council of Madrid. A mixed method is developed (qualitative and quantitative techniques) with interviews, educational campaigns and review of citizens' complaints to the municipality (N = 932). The results highlight some problems within local management and communication that maintain environmental conflicts. The conclusions seek to increase the value of environmental education and their different strategies, consistent in complementarity with other mechanisms inherent to public administration (management, legislation, investment). Some proposals are delivered to improve the management of resources and increase efficiency by the development of educational campaigns and communication with the citizens of this government.