A synthesis on active citizenship in European nature conservation: social and environmental impacts, democratic tensions, and governance implications

Abstract

In this synthesis article, I discuss the meaning of active citizenship for European nature conservation based on an integrative study of existing literature. Four main knowledge gaps are addressed: (1) a lack of overview on the scope and characteristics of active citizenship across Europe; (2) a lack of systematic evidence on its impacts; (3) a lack of congruence in democratic debates related to active citizenship; and (4) the governance implications of active citizenship in context of these knowledge gaps. Empirical research shows that active citizenship is driven by a wide range of motivations and manifests in various forms. Although most active citizenship is small in scale, when added together all these groups of citizens have become a societal force to be reckoned with. Locally, active citizenship often provides important benefits to people and nature and also enriches the democratic system. However, active citizenship does not always align with policy frameworks and ecological networks and also leads to tensions between representative and direct forms of democracy. For these reasons, active citizenship should be considered as additive to other forms of governance in European nature conservation. In this, a polycentric and collaborative approach to green space governance can help authorities in achieving their own policy objectives while stimulating active citizenship.

Citizens Science Perspectives on Drivers of Sedimentation in the Lusitu River Catchment in Chirundu District, Zambia

“…This is similar to Ethiopia experiencing land degradation in the Blue Nile highlands hosting about 90% of the country's population where such population pressure severely triggered erosion and sedimentation of rivers and reservoirs [57,58,59,60,61,62]. In these densely settled areas, the role of Citizen science in in land and water resources management cannot be overemphasized, as it fosters environmentally friendly dispositions and engagement, which in its right is a means of social inclusion which facilitates the participation of citizens with important governance implications such as those related to water resources management [63,64]. The application of Citizen Science has dominated water quality monitoring [65], unlike other areas of study such as sediment generation in river catchments.…”