Legal Framework for Biosphere Reserves as Learning Sites for Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of Ukraine and Sweden

• Published in: Ambio Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 174 - 187
• Main Authors: Elbakidze, Marine, Hahn, Thomas, Mauerhofer, Volker, Angelstam, Per, Axelsson, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.03.2013; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptive governance; Atmospheric Sciences; Biosphere; Biosphere reserves; Case studies; Comparative analysis; comparative study; Conservation; Conservation of Natural Resources; Conservation of Natural Resources - legislation & jurisprudence; Development; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecological sustainability; Ecology; Environment; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Environmental legislation; Environmental Management; Environmental protection; Environmental quality; Forest ecology; Formal; Formal institution; Informal institutions; Law; law enforcement; Learning; legal aspect; Legal documents; Legislation; Miljöledning; national planning; national strategy; nature reserve; Physical Geography; Protected areas; social control; Social Control, Formal; stakeholder; Sustainability; Sustainable agriculture; Sustainable development; Sustainable forest management; Sweden; Tourism; Ukraine; Sweden; Ukraine; Development; Adaptive governance; Informal institutions; Formal institution; Conservation
• ISSN: 0044-7447; 1654-7209; 1654-7209
• DOI: 10.1007/s13280-012-0373-3

The Biosphere Reserve (BR) concept aims at encouraging sustainable development (SD) towards sustainability on the ground by promoting three core functions: conservation, development, and logistic support. Sweden and Ukraine exemplify the diverse governance contexts that BRs need to cope with. We assessed how the BR concept and its core functions are captured in national legislations. The results show that the core functions are in different ways reflected in legal documents in both countries. While in Ukraine the BR concept is incorporated into legislation, in Sweden the concept is used as a soft law. In Ukraine managers desired stronger legal enforcement, while in Sweden managers avoided emphasis on legislation when collaborating with local stakeholders. Hence, BR implementation have adapted to different political cultures by development of diverse approaches. We conclude that a stronger legal support might not be needed for BRs, rather SD needs to be recognized as an integrated place-based process at multiple levels.