Camilla Widmark

Progressing toward co-management through collaborative learning: forestry and reindeer husbandry in dialogue

With complex common pool resources, it is important to balance the multitude of interests in order to generate a sustainable management regime. This is not the case in the northern parts of Sweden, where forest resources are used for different extractive purposes by forest companies and the reindeer herding industry. In many respects, the present situation represents a classic collective-action problem with a number of reasons why no cooperative behaviour might be expected. This article illuminates the relationship between the two industries in an historical, ecological and institutional perspective in order to explain the limited scope of coordinated action between the two actors. It also, through the use of collaborative learning techniques and scenario methods, explores the possibilities for the two industries to consider each others needs and to identify strategies for co-existence and co-management. The testing of a broad range of scenarios among a selected group of stakeholders leads to the identification of possibilities for improving the management of the forest and lichen resource by changing institutional arrangements and improving coordination between the stakeholders.

Forestry and reindeer husbandry in northern Sweden – the development of a land use conflict

Both the forestry sector and reindeer herders in northern Sweden use the forest resources in northern Sweden, albeit for different purposes, and have adverse effects on each other. To reduce conflicts between them negotiations take place in so-called “consultations”, but the institutional arrangement does not seem to be working well; the conflicts have not been resolved, and the reindeer herders are generally more dissatisfied with the outcome than the forest companies. This paper provides an overview of the parallel development of forestry and reindeer herding in the region. In addition several issues that complicate the consultations and need to be resolved in order to secure the continued co-existence of the two activities are identified, based on an analysis of physical, societal and judicial aspects of the relationship between them. Abstract in Swedish / Sammandrag: Skogsbruk och rennaringen i norra Sverige – utveckling av en markanvandningskonflikt Skogsresursen i norra Sverige nyttjas for bland annat timmerproduktion och renbete och skogsbruket respektive rennaring paverkar varandra negativt. For att minska konflikterna har samrad instiftats men processen fungerar inte tillfredsstallande eftersom det finns ett missnoje bland renskotarna. Denna studie ger en oversikt av den parallella utvecklingen av de tva naringarna och deras inbordes relationer och darmed identifieras flera nyckelomraden som komplicerar relationen mellan de bada naringarna och darmed aven samraden. Genom att analysera de fysiska, sociala och juridiska aspekterna av relationen mellan rennaring och skogsbruk pekar studien pa ett antal problem som maste losas for att kunna sakerstalla en fortsatt parallell existens.

Transaction Costs of Institutional Change in Multiple-Use Commons: The Case of Consultations Between Forestry and Reindeer Husbandry in Northern Sweden

Interdependence, that is, when the choice of one actor influences that of another, has relevance for the success of an institutional arrangement. Transaction cost theory can help to explain responses to governance solutions and problems associated with governance and policy of such arrangements. This paper focuses on the parallel use of the forest resources by the forestry industry and indigenous groups practising reindeer husbandry in Northern Sweden as an example of such interdependence. A theoretical model of governance of interdependence and the effect of transaction costs is developed in the paper to meet the needs of being able to evaluate the effect of interdependence in a multiple-use situation. The model is then tested on the empirical example of forestry and reindeer husbandry, using scenario and focus-group methods, to discuss the effect of transaction costs in the present hybrid institution system. This institution is intended to address the interdependence between the actors and manage conflicts, but currently fails to reduce conflict. Next, the model is used to evaluate possible changes; the results of the analysis show that modifying the institutional arrangement can bring about improvements that would have some redistributive effects in terms of transaction costs, lessening the impact of interdependence.

Measuring Transaction Costs for Pastoralists in Multiple Land Use Situations: Reindeer Husbandry in Northern Sweden

Analysis of transaction costs in multiple land use situations is helpful in policymaking and land use management, especially in natural resource management situations where interdependence prevails. By using reindeer herding–forestry land use management as an example, the aim of this study is to analyze transaction costs among stakeholders in a comanagement situation. The results demonstrate that a key variable driving transaction costs is the presence of a “land use plan for reindeer husbandry,” which is an interesting paradox as reindeer herders pursue the development of these land use plans even though this drives their transaction costs. (JEL D7, Q23)