Dec
De-Polarizing Land Use Conflicts
Land-use conflicts in Sweden have been increasingly marked by affective polarization between actor groups, i.e. a growing difference between positive and negative emotions attached to viewpoints and values on land use issues. This concerns conflicts over the industrial Swedish forestry model, but also other examples like the environmental benefits of organic farming, and the exploitation of arable land for urban planning or wind parks. The polarization surrounding these and other questions has also impacted the role of researchers, with emerging or intensifying fault lines within the scholarly community on land-use conflicts. Notably, these and other land-use conflicts in Sweden are strongly embedded in multi-level governance settings. A proper understanding of the drivers and mechanisms of these (polarized) conflicts, along with possible responses to them, therefore needs to incorporate the dynamics between international, national and local actors and processes.
The aim of the workshop is to discuss preliminary results from our BECC action group and Pufendorf study group on the topic, and to identify current key research alleys, societal and political debates as well as future research directions.
The workshop seeks to discuss
- conceptual and analytical approaches to better understand land-use conflicts in Sweden,
- the particular case of polarization over Swedish old-growth forests, and
- options to address this polarization, including potential lessons learned from other land use-related conflicts in Sweden.
The workshop is free of charge, meals included. Please note that registration is necessary.
Register in this link before 12.00, December 4th
Programme:
9:30 Arrival, registration and coffee & tea
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome & Introducing the ASG
Moderated by Fariborz Zelli
10:30 – 12:00 Session 1: Understanding land-use conflicts
Panel discussion with Rebecca Fröse, Christian Lund, Torsten Krause
The session starts by insights into land use conflicts from different parts of the world before engaging in a discussion on common factors driving conflicts and possible management strategies
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:30 Session 2: Polarization in the Swedish Forest
Panel discussion with Anders Ahlström, Cecilia Akselsson, Kaisa Raitio
This session starts to dig into specific conflicts in Swedish forests, considering biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service provision, and participation.
14:30 – 15:00 Coffee and tea
15:00 – 16:30 Session 3: Lessons learned on de-polarizing land use conflicts
Parallel workshops on drivers, dimensions and solutions
This session is organized around collaborative sense-making to understand the emergence, the unfolding, and the potential and shortcomings of resolution approaches for land use conflicts.
16:30 – 16:45 Coffee and tea
16:50 – 17:30 Summary of key insights and wrapping up
This session will include a reporting back and a brief conclusion of lessons learned and ways forward.
About the event
Location:
Pufendorf IAS, main lecture hall, Biskopsgatan 3, Lund
Contact:
fariborz [dot] zelli [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se