Evaluating Governance and Participatory Processes in Natura 2000: Lessons Learned and Guidance for Future Prospects

The document investigates the shift from top-down technocratic approaches to inclusive environmental governance within the Natura 2000 network. It proposes a three-pronged evaluation framework focusing on information quality, legitimacy, and social dynamics. Applying this to the Garate-Santa Barbara SCI in the Basque Country, the authors find that while participatory processes can reduce uncertainty and foster local relationships, they often fail to influence final political decisions, leading to participant frustration.

• The Natura 2000 network, the world's largest protected areas network, has historically relied on a top-down governance vision that often failed to inform the public of its goals, leading to resistance from groups like the forestry lobby and conflicts in France, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
• The authors developed a common evaluation framework for participatory processes based on three criteria: Information Quality (clarity, manageability, and credibility of data), Legitimacy (equitable inclusion and respect among actors), and Social Dynamics (learning, trust, and relationship building).
• In the Garate-Santa Barbara (G-SB) SCI case study, a participatory process using the Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) framework successfully reduced uncertainty and provided credible information to local landowners who previously viewed the site designation as a threat.
• The G-SB case study demonstrated that while the process fostered mutual respect and improved relationships between local administrations and citizens, it struggled to produce mutually beneficial solutions because some actors remained focused on their own interests.
• A critical failure identified in the G-SB case was the lack of impact of the participatory results on final political decisions, which created disappointment and mistrust among participants.

APA

Díez, M.-A., Etxano, I., & Garmendia, E. (2012). Evaluating Governance and Participatory Processes in Natura 2000: Lessons Learned and Guidance for Future Prospects. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20121017010239334534575.pdf

Chicago

Díez, María-Angeles, Iker Etxano, and Eneko Garmendia. Evaluating Governance and Participatory Processes in Natura 2000: Lessons Learned and Guidance for Future Prospects. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2012. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20121017010239334534575.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Díez |first1=María-Angeles |last2=Etxano |first2=Iker |last3=Garmendia |first3=Eneko |title=Evaluating Governance and Participatory Processes in Natura 2000: Lessons Learned and Guidance for Future Prospects |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=October 2012 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20121017010239334534575.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dez2012evaluating, author = {Díez, María-Angeles and Etxano, Iker and Garmendia, Eneko}, title = {{Evaluating Governance and Participatory Processes in Natura 2000: Lessons Learned and Guidance for Future Prospects}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2012}, month = oct, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20121017010239334534575.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }