The perception of environmental problems - a trigger for cooperation?
Abstract
Water pollution is one central type of a common-pool resource (CPR) problem which is
diffcult to solve as water users, polluters and regulators come from different sectors and act at different levels. This study takes the case of micro-pollutants in the international river of the Rhine and investigates one factor that has long been under-evaluated in research on collective action in common-pool resource settings: the perception of the threat that is posed to a common-pool resource. Applying Inferential Network Analysis by using an Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) this paper analyzes the influence the problem perception of actors involved in a CPR problem setting has on these actors’ cooperational behavior. Findings from three different regions in the Rhine catchment area show that the perception of a CPR problem affects actors’ cooperation. The perception of the CPR problem’s consequences for humans and nature differs across the cases, indicating that different aspects of one and the same CPR problem can be regarded differently across regions.
diffcult to solve as water users, polluters and regulators come from different sectors and act at different levels. This study takes the case of micro-pollutants in the international river of the Rhine and investigates one factor that has long been under-evaluated in research on collective action in common-pool resource settings: the perception of the threat that is posed to a common-pool resource. Applying Inferential Network Analysis by using an Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) this paper analyzes the influence the problem perception of actors involved in a CPR problem setting has on these actors’ cooperational behavior. Findings from three different regions in the Rhine catchment area show that the perception of a CPR problem affects actors’ cooperation. The perception of the CPR problem’s consequences for humans and nature differs across the cases, indicating that different aspects of one and the same CPR problem can be regarded differently across regions.
Date Issued
2017-05-18
Publication Type
Conference Item
Language(s)
en
Additional Credits
Title of Event
Access(Rights)
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