RESUMEN:
Los conflictos socioambientales dificultan la toma de decisiones de los organismos competentes para determinadas iniciativas o actividades asociadas a riesgo ambiental, lo que ademásde encarecer, retrasar o impedir su ejecución, suelen precisar intervención judicial para atender las demandas impuestas por individuos o grupos sociales interesados y afectados (o creen serlo). Estas importantes consecuencias, unidas al creciente número de situaciones que desembocan en conflictos socioambientales, con la consecuente repercusión en el desarrollo sostenible territorial, justifican la necesidad de investigar en los mismos y en las metodologías de intervención extrajudicial para una eficaz gestión y resolución, así como en estrategias para anticiparse a su generación y consolidación en escenarios proclives. En este trabajo se describe el procedimiento de mediación ambiental aplicado en la resolución auto-compositiva de tres conflictos socioambientales, se prueba la utilidad de la metodología Investigación-Acción-Participación para su desarrollo y se evalúa el papel del equipo de investigador como actor mediador del proceso.
ABSTRACT:
Socio-environmental conflicts hinder decision-making with respect to activities associated with environmental risk, which aside from being expensive, delayer or preventing the realization of said activities, usually require judicial intervention to meet the demands imposed by the interested and affected individuals or social groups (or that at was considered themselves as such).These important consequences, coupled with the increasing number of situations that trigger socio-environmental conflicts and the consequential impact on sustainable territorial development, justify the need to investigate extrajudicial intervention methodologies for effective management and resolution, in addition to strategies for anticipating the creation and consolidation of new socio-environmental conflicts in other likely scenarios. This paper addresses the process of environmental mediation of character self-composition that has applied for to resolution three environmental conflicts; it demonstrates the usefulness of the methodology of participatory action research (PAR) in development; and evaluates the role of the researcher as a mediator.
Environmental mediation is based on the ability of those involved to intervene in the factors that led to the conflict, examining said factors that initiate the conflict and what they would have to change or introduce to bring about a resolution or constructive transformation (Stringer, E.T., 1999, Kaufman, S., 2002, Sandin, M.P., 2003). The PAR process (Fals, O., 2008; Balcazar, F., 2003, Eisenberg, R., 2004) for the development of environmental mediation allows the integration of stakeholders (Ander-Egg, E., 2003) in all stages, to act as informants on the type, structure and dynamics of the conflict, and as actors involved redefining action plans and intervention strategies appropriate. Also, the PAR allows the researcher of the conflict (who organises type of intervention) to assumetheir role as mediator, facilitating the integration of stakeholders in order to agree on how to resolve the conflict (Burgess, G. and Burgess, H., 1994).
This paper presents the results of environmental mediation procedures applied to three environmental conflicts triggered by public activities in various technical areas, with particular contextual conditions that occurred in three different geographical settings:
- Case 1- South Metropolitan Connection: initiated by the proposal of constructing of roads and bridges infrastructure called South Metropolitan Connection in the province of Huelva.
- Case 2-Construction of an experimental ring for High Speed trains: initiated by the proposed construction of the Railway Technology Centre, better known as the AnilloFerroviario de Pruebas de Antequera (Málaga).
- Case 3 El Cabril: initiated by the existence and future retention of the Centralized storage of radioactive waste of low and medium activity El Cabril in the province of Cordoba.
The results obtained in the case studies are:
- The main components for the effective development of environmental mediation proceduresinclude access to accurate information; the equalparticipation of the parties involved; consideration of the assessments (non-technical) that the public and politicians in the local community have in regard to the environmental and socioeconomic impact of public and private projects in the area.
- The methodology that combines research with action and participation (PAR) provides an early assessment of the type of conflict. This facilitates the appropriate adaptation of the environmental mediation procedure to the particularitiesof the conflict; improving the culture of participation; avoiding the politicization of the conflict; and reducing the mistrust of detractors in the mediating institution.
- The mediator-researcher is responsible for: providing quality information and experience in organizing the acts of participation; promoting the formation of action committees; developing the Academic Report that reinforces the results of environmental mediation; delivering the results to the relevant authorities in making public decisions concerning activities provoked socio-environmental conflict.
- The use of environmental mediation before decision making provides a preliminary study on the perspective of the people involved in regards to new activities in their surroundings, as well as a complementary process of public participation in activities or projects that may lead to socio-environmental conflicts.
The interdisciplinary and inclusive vision of universities as researchers and mediators provides confidence to the process, encourages the involvement of the warring parties and favours the observation of the arguments and interests of those involved. At the same time environmental mediation allows to objectively analyse the (potential and actual) economic and environmental externalities of projects or activities from the perspective of sustainable territorial integration. The procedure of environmental mediation in the case studies have allowed us to test its usefulness in environmental conflict management, its effectiveness in finding a resolution extrajudicial or transformation, and its ability to anticipate such conflicts in other likely places, which contributes to the legitimacy of sustainable development strategies. Classification-JEL: R1 Keywords: Conflicto socioambiental, Infraestructuras públicas, Desarrollo sostenible, Investigación-Acción-Participación (IAP), Mediación ambiental, Universidades como mediadores, Resolución de conflictos, Estudio de casos, España, Socio-environmental conflict, Public infrastructures, Sustainable development, Participation-Action-Research (PAR), Environmental mediation, Universities mediators, Conflict resolution, Case study, Spain Pages: 163-188 Volume: 3 Year: 2014 File-URL: http://www.revistaestudiosregionales.com/documentos/articulos/pdf-articulo-2453.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:rer:articu:v:3:y:2014:p:163-188