Social factors crucial for effective environmental policy
Malgorzata Blicharska leads the Balancing Nature and Society research programme, which is part of the new initiative UUniCORN (Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Research Nexus). Photo: Peter Lown
Your pleasure at receiving something extra is often greater than your disappointment at losing something you already had. This is simply how human beings function biologically, according to Malgorzata Blicharska, Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences.
Malgorzata Blicharska. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt
“Much of my research focuses on the implementation of environmental policies. A lot of people think it’s easy as long as the resources are there, but it’s also a matter of will.”
Many agree that we need to change our lifestyles to slow down climate change, and ambitious targets have been set both in Sweden and worldwide. However, these are rarely legally binding.
“If the targets are ambitious, more is done than if they are not. At the same time, there are many structural barriers to implementing environmental policies in practice,” Blicharska says.
Integration into policy
Her research has included analysing how nature-based solutions can be integrated into policy, focusing on the use of small freshwater bodies such as ponds and wetlands to address global environmental challenges. Her studies in this area have involved document analysis, interviews and questionnaires.
“The new EU regulation on nature restoration entered into force in 2024. It was almost voted down, partly because Sweden was against it, so we see a potential conflict there. In addition, many stakeholders working on the environment in Sweden have been affected by cuts,” Blicharska says.
She also believes there are many misconceptions about the law and fears among landowners. Restoration includes re-establishing wetlands that have been drained. However, as yet there is no plan in place for how to go about it.
“You have to take those who are affected into account. One of my doctoral students is going to investigate the position of landowners,” says Blicharska.
Interdisciplinary research
In “Evolution and Biodiversity in a Changing World”, which is one of the University’s areas of strength, the majority of researchers are natural scientists. Blicharska is keen to emphasise the value of including social science research like her own.
“My research provides perspectives on how we can implement better biodiversity policies and initiatives, how we can use concepts such as ecosystem services and nature-based solutions for this, and how we as societies can adapt to a changing world. In this way, my work complements that of the ecologists to a great extent,” she says.
Blicharska leads the Balancing Nature and Society research programme, which is part of the new initiative UUniCORN (Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Research Nexus).
“A knowledge of nature is not enough for implementing environmental policies. It’s also necessary to understand the social aspects,” Blicharska concludes.
Sigrid Asker