Stakeholder Engagement and Sustainable Restoration of Wetlands for Water Security

In the Nordic region, the rapidly disappearing wetlands are being restored in agricultural and other landscapes to improve water quality and quantity, and other ecosystem services.

Wetland restoration project (WRP) involves multiple stakeholders with diverse interests who need to be coordinated and involved effectively through the different project phases to ensure expected results.

Though previous studies and administrative experiences indicate problems with stakeholder engagement (SE), there exists little research knowledge around ‘engagement’ as a broader connotation compared to the commonly used concept of ‘participation’.

This research aims to plug the knowledge gaps based on a comparative case study approach, examining a broad sample of ‘implemented’ and ‘non-implemented’ WRPs from Sweden and Denmark. The ultimate purpose is to deepen knowledge for securing water supply through sustainable wetland restoration.

The SE processes in the WRP sample will be studied using document analysis, questionnaires, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and stakeholder workshops, and analyzed through grounded theory approach and social network analysis to identify the factors that either facilitate or hinder them.

Findings of the comparative study will lead to a holistic action framework for securing effective SE through the different phases of WRPs.

Finally, the action framework will be applied to develop ‘stakeholder engagement strategies’ in problem WRPs to improve water security.