Citizen initiatives with a strategic vision contribute more to nature
Aside from public authorities, citizens make an important contribution to nature and biodiversity. But what actions would be best to take and how? This study has developed a method to make citizen initiatives more effective Insights gained by public authorities to increase citizen participation are also helpful. This ensures that the goals of public authorities in the area of nature are achieved better.
A side from public authorities and businesses, citizens make a significant contribution to the development, conservation and protection of nature and biodiversity. “There are three ways in which citizens can contribute”, explains Arjen Buijs, Associate Professor of Forest & Nature Conservation Policy and senior researcher at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). “By contributing to existing policy goals, by developing new ways of managing nature or food production, or by putting pressure on public authorities and industry to go green”.
This article appeared in TO2MORROW, the magazine of the TO2 Federation. This organization publishes this impact report once a year, featuring the results of research and collaboration among the five TO2 institutes: Deltares, MARIN, NLR, TNO, and WUR.
But how can these actions be designed as effectively as possible, so that they make a greater contribution to nature conservation and nature policy? And how can public authorities and nature organisations increase citizen participation to facilitate the achievement of their environmental goals? Buijs and his colleagues first looked into the motivations of citizens to want to contribute.
Their research showed that people are not only motivated to do something on their own accord, but also take action due to dissatisfaction with the role of businesses and the lack of effective government policies, for example to reduce the volumes of litter. Subsequently, together with the stakeholders, they studied two successful citizens’ initiatives. The lessons learned from this were translated into a general method that other initiatives can apply to become more effective.
Successful citizens’ initiatives
One of the initiatives they researched was Tiny Forest, an initiative by the Institute for Nature Education (IVN) to plant small forests with different trees in collaboration with schools and municipalities (there are 282 in the meanwhile). “This initiative not only helps to involve the residents with nature”, says Buijs, “this actually helps to make villages and towns greener and increases biodiversity.” Tiny Forest, for example, succeeded in building a community, jointly constructing the small forests, and providing education to schools, among other things.
In addition, researchers studied a number of citizens’ initiatives that together, clean up plastic waste from nature so that it does not end up in the rivers and oceans, such as the North Sea foundation and their actions for Clean Beaches. “Every year, such organisations publish for example, the most number of cans found of which beverage brand and share this with the media”, explains Buijs. “This negative publicity puts pressure on businesses to change their policies and also on politicians to introduce a deposit system for small plastic bottles.” In the meantime, deposits are indeed being levied on both cans and bottles, and seventy percent fewer cans and plastic bottles are ending up in nature. “So that really has been very effective.”
Big plans
“If organisations or the government really want to bring about a transition with the help of citizens, they must think very strategically in advance which activities are meaningful”, explains Buijs. “Together with Tiny Forest and the North Sea foundation, we have studied how they achieve smart development with a clear goal in mind.” Based on these insights, the researchers then developed a method, a roadmap for “local initiatives with big plans” to develop a strategy. Citizens can work together to fill in a template to clarify their goal, exactly what activities they undertake, and what the results are in the short and long term. They can also discuss this in depth regarding any assumptions, opportunities, barriers and supplies.
Tiny Forest really makes villages and towns greener and increases biodiversity.
The method allows the citizens’ initiative to flourish, professionalise, or to apply for a grant. Buijs: “This is where you can set out to make your citizens’ initiative more effective. It is very useful to start a discussion as a citizens’ initiative about what you want to achieve in the long term. With this method, citizens can make a greater contribution to the development and protection of nature. They may even have an impact on the development of policies which may lead to structural improvements. The gained insights also help public authorities and nature organisations to develop an effective policy theory on how best to involve citizens in nature policy. And that, in turn, could increase support for nature policy.”