Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Biosphere reserves are recognised as places that facilitate collaboration among various interests related to the broader area, aiming to enhance the sustainable use of resources and contribute to a sustainable transformation. This includes various interests, which leads to the research problem that was addressed in this study: the reconciliation of different interests related to land. This study examined the perspectives of four stakeholder groups within the Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka biosphere reserve, focusing on their experiences of the Vindel River and how it shapes their understanding of the biosphere reserve as a whole. This study did not primarily seek consensual elements or expressions but rather, to understand different views and what implications knowledge, emotions, and values have for further environmental communication within biosphere reserves. This study was conducted through focus group discussions and drawing exercises and analysed through the theoretical lens of social representation. The findings revealed that participants conceptualised the river in terms of its shape and flow, through their historical and cultural contexts, and demonstrated a multilayered understanding of the river that encompasses time, place, and history. Many participants employed metaphors such as “life pulse” and “blood vessels” to describe the river, indicating a profound emotional connection to it and a recognition of the values it held for them. Through the discussions, stakeholders also demonstrated a deep understanding of how climate change impacts both the river and their lives. However, this understanding was not reflected in their drawings, which pictured a more idyllic vision of the river and diverged from their verbal description. The implications of the findings suggest that communication within the BVJ would benefit from a deeper understanding of the various representations of the river and their connections to the broader area. It also indicates that continuously comprehending the complexity of these different representations, along with the role of values, knowledge, and emotions, would enhance governance within biosphere reserves and nature conservation practices.