Envisioning ocean governability transformations through network-based marine spatial planning

Abstract

The globally accelerating environmental crisis calls for radical changes in the governance of ocean resources towards a more sustainable and socially equitable world. Transdisciplinary sustainability research and networked knowledge-to-action approaches are critical parts of this change. The effective application of such approaches still puzzles social actors (individuals and networks) willing to act in more transformative ways. We conducted twelve participatory network mapping activities to assess the perception of high-level federal government institutional entrepreneurs on the structure and dynamics of an emerging socio-political arena for marine spatial planning (MSP) in Brazil. Our informants, mostly cognizant of their own intra-governmental structures, anticipate the MSP arena to remain self-enclosed, with changes only occurring within the federal government structures in the coming years. Their perceptions were largely conservative, narrow, and unambitious and therefore unfit to generate regime transformations. The limited awareness of response capacities beyond the federal government potentially leads to the endurement of the low performance already present in the MSP arena. Results from the participatory network mapping informed a five-step functional ocean governability analysis pointing to key potential contributions to support a critical turn in MSP: 1. envision situated interactional narratives to leverage regime shifts; 2. build a shared understanding of and anticipating transformative coevolutionary dynamics; 3. build awareness of the potential synergies among disparate but innovative area-based responses; 4. specify inter-network-based limitations and the necessary changes underpinning potential leaps in performance levels of ocean governance orders; 5. make power asymmetries explicit to stir structurally tailored strategic action by less influential groups. We discuss the potential role of inter-network strategies and actions and how they may confront the symptoms of depoliticized MSP pathways and the risks of it becoming an instrument of further marginalisation and power asymmetry in Brazil. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40152-021-00250-1.

An evolution towards scientific consensus for a sustainable ocean future

“…This would facilitate autonomous, decentralised ocean knowledge co-production at policy interfaces where problems and opportunities emerge, hence improving the responsiveness governance regimes. This vision might be achieved through the creative combination of applications in networked knowledge-to-action 35,45,46 , the co-design of ocean scenarios and pathways 47 , and the use of plural valuation 48 . Integrated and deliberative (e.g.…”

“…2). Anticipatory governance adopts a systems approach that combines capacities for forecasting and foresighting, visioning, and collaborative and participatory processes 46 , to anticipate and respond to the challenges that come with rapid and unpredictable change. Innovations that emerge can contribute to sustainable transitions, not only in ocean management and governance but also across all components of the biosphere 19 .…”