Environmental governance of the Netherlands

The main objective of this sub-project is to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) that can be used to craft appropriate response strategies to disturbances associated with invasive species proliferation and policy changes. To that purpose, the relevant governance system for land use and conservation will be analyzed in terms of opportunities and constraints for the development and implementation of technical invasive species management options. Subsequently, stakeholders will be mapped in terms of (i) the positions they hold and interest they represent with regard to invasive species, and with regard to policy options targeting this issue, and (ii) the power bases these stakeholders represent. In the next step of the research, both the governance system and the network of stakeholders will be assessed in terms of the expected adaptive capacity that they possess, and that would potentially allow them to craft appropriate response strategies to changes in the natural environment. The DSS will take into account the knowledge generated in sub-project 1, about the temporal and spatial dimensions of the altering disturbance regime triggered by the varying rates of invasive species? spread at the islands? hot- and coldspots. The DSS will also be tailored in accordance with the knowledge generated in this sub-project about the governance system, stakeholders, and their respective adaptive capacities. The testing of the DSS in a series of stakeholder workshops will serve the purpose of ground truthing the instrument, disseminating knowledge and capacity building among participants.