Abstract

Riparian buffers zones are a key tool to protect freshwater across productive landscapes, yet implementation and management of riparian buffers has been a challenge across the world. The complex function of riparian ecosystems, together with the social and economic context, make policy design and implementation for adequate protection challenging. For a policy to be successful, it needs to be known, understood and accepted to gain legitimacy by the actors managing the forest resources. Thus, understanding stakeholders’ perceptions and values, together with environmental knowledge, are key to assure science-based and socially acceptable policy design. In this study, we review how Sweden and Chile, two forest resource rich countries and with thriving forest industries, face contextual challenges to maintain functional riparian buffer zones. In addition, we present country-based empirical projects that integrate a socio-ecological approach to study buffer zones’ management by exploring opportunities and challenges that arise from stakeholder participation in development of functional buffer zones. In Chile, landowners have varying perspectives regarding buffer zones maintenance. For example, small-scale livestock growers tend to maintain forests along watercourses to use it for food, fuel and protection. In Sweden, soft regulations entailing large freedom in forest managers’ decision-making. One consequence is, for example, that buffer zones in functional but small watercourses tend to be disregarded. Knowledge regarding stakeholder relationship with riparian buffer zones can inform alternative management practices that, if implemented, may improve acceptance and legitimacy. We discuss how albeit large geographical differences, an approach that integrates managers’ knowledge, perceptions and values can inform methodological development in transdisciplinary riparian forest studies.