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Building a catchment-based environmental programme: a stakeholder analysis of wetland creation in Scania, Sweden

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Abstract

The Kävlinge River Programme is a catchment-based initiative in Scania, Sweden, for converting agricultural land into wetlands in order to reduce nutrient emissions to the sea. The design and implementation of this programme are analysed, following a stakeholder analysis methodology. The most important components of the establishment and implementation of the Kävlinge River programme were found to be the following: (1) the existence of an overarching policy objective, (2) devotion and endurance found among a few local officials and local politicians, (3) a willingness among municipalities included in the catchment area to find compromises and funds, (4) the combination of traditional Swedish agri-environmental policy instruments and a trustful and constructive atmosphere in which the target group (farmers) is treated as an equal in negotiations, and (5) the existence of a mediating agent between authorities and the target group.

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Acknowledgements

We owe a large number of persons associated with the Kävlinge River Programme a debt of gratitude because of their support and patience in our data collection work. Special thanks are due to Lillemor Lewan and Nils Lewan for fruitful cooperation, and to Katarina Eckerberg and three anonymous referees for helpful comments. This paper describes work carried out in the research project Ecological-Economic Analysis of Wetlands: Functions, Values and Dynamics (ECOWET). Funding from the EU/DGXII Environment and Climate Programme (Contract No. ENV4-CT96–0273) and the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research (FRN) is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, Box 6501, 11383 , Stockholm, Sweden

    Therese Lindahl

  2. Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 50005, 10405 , Stockholm, Sweden

    Tore Söderqvist

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  1. Therese Lindahl
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  2. Tore Söderqvist
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Correspondence to Tore Söderqvist.

Appendix: Interviewed persons

Appendix: Interviewed persons

In-person interviews were carried out in early December 1998 with the following persons:

Artur Almestrand (AA), Secretary, The Water Protection Association of the Kävlinge River. Member of the Reference Committee.

Tette Alström (TA), consultant, Ekologgruppen i Landskrona AB. Member of the Executive Committee and the Reference Committee. Present at Programme Board meetings.

Lars Jacobsson (LJ), official, Municipality of Lund. Chairman of the Executive Committee, Executive Secretary (föredragande) in the Programme Board and in the Reference Committee.

Lars Leonardson (LL), scientist (ecologist), Lund University. Member of the Reference Committee.

Helén Rosengren (HR), Swedish Federation of Farmers. Member of the Reference Committee.

Ingmar Thorén (IT), official, Municipality of Sjöbo. Member of the Executive Committee.

Eva Tronarp (ET), official, Municipality of Eslöv. Secretary of the Executive Committee, the Programme Board and the Reference Committee.

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Lindahl, T., Söderqvist, T. Building a catchment-based environmental programme: a stakeholder analysis of wetland creation in Scania, Sweden. Reg Environ Change 4, 132–144 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-004-0072-0

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