Co-creation processes for conservation and ecosystem services management

Coastal wetland governance involves the institutions, people, policies, laws, and norms that guide decision-making and responsibilities affecting coastal wetlands and their users. The unique wetland ecosystems motivate conservation efforts, while their natural resources can become targets of exploitation, leading to multiple conflicting interests. Co-creation processes between stakeholders, as a practice of collaborative management, can help mitigate conflicts but it requires the willingness to compromise, mutual understanding, and effective dialogue. The current work explores a co-creation process under the scope of an ongoing science-for-policy project, aimed at defining sustainable adaptation pathways for wetlands conservation and carbon sequestration management in the Ria Formosa lagoon. Co-creation methodologies are being employed at various stages, and include the exchange of information (maps, fact sheets, management plans, directives, etc.) and focus groups with involved partners, i.e., researchers, regional decision-makers, and managers. The scientific development of the project, including data collection and modelling scenarios is being guided by the choices made collaboratively between all stakeholders. Three methodologies are being used to evaluate the level of partner engagement and effectiveness of the collaboration: 1) analysis of qualitative information gathered at the beginning and end of the process; 2) monitoring the communication between stakeholders; and 3) analysis of the stakeholder’s perspectives on strategic plans and other documents, shown formally at focus groups meetings or through informal conversations. The results of this co-creation process are relevant to a) the research of methodologies best suited to co-participatory management practices for Natural Parks and b) the establishment of foundations in evidence-based land management foundations.

Acknowledgements: This study contributes to the project C-Land (CEXC/4647/2024), funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, and RestLands (ID 705677) funded by Planet Labs.