Conflict Mapping in Texas
The sustainable management of coastal natural resources inevitably involves
identifying stakeholder conflicts and developing planning processes which prevent
these conflicts from becoming intractable disputes. This study links environmental
conflict to specific areas within a large ecological system. Specifically, we
use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map potentially competing stakeholder
values associated with establishing protected areas in Matagorda Bay, Texas.
By overlaying multiple values associated with a range of stakeholders across
space, we are able to identify hotspots of potential conflict as well as areas
of opportunity for maximizing joint gains. Mapping stakeholder conflict is an
approach to proactively locate potential controversy in response to a specific
environmental management proposal and guide decision makers in crafting planning
processes that mitigate the possibility of intractable disputes and facilitate
the implementation of sustainable coastal policies. Results indicate that under
different management scenarios, protected area proposals will generate more
conflict in specific areas. Most notably, regulated uses would produce the greatest
degree of conflict on or near-shore, particularly at the mouth of the Colorado
River. Additionally, of all the management scenarios evaluated, the prohibition
of coastal structural development would generate the overall highest level of
conflict within the Bay. Based on the results, we discuss the policy implications
for environmental managers and provide guidance for future research on location-based
conflict management within the coastal margin.
Articles:
• Institute
of Science, Technology and Public Policy at the Bush School
• Bush School of Government
and Public Service