Regional Approach for biodiversity Visioning and policy intEgratioN (RAVEN)

We develop methods to enable a common biodiversity vision and to develop integrated measures at the regional level.

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Switzerland

2025 - ongoing

Client

Beneficiaries

Stakeholders and municipalities in the Lenzburg-Seetal case study region and a comparison region.

Key Partners

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL); Unit “Landscape and watercourses”, Canton of Aargau; LEAF Inspiring Change; Lebensraum Lenzburg Seetal

The loss of biodiversity in Switzerland, as in the rest of Europe, is largely due to landscape rationalization and the intensification of agriculture. In general, biodiversity conservation is supported by the public and is also valued by resource managers in the forestry and agricultural sectors, as it contributes to other ecosystem services, including crop production. However, restrictions on local land use interests in favor of specific biodiversity protection measures are often rejected. This is also because such measures are typically negotiated and decided at the level of municipalities or individual landowners within the sectors of forestry, agriculture, and settlement/transport. As a result, the promotion of biodiversity is hampered by narrow perspectives and a lack of exchange between resource users.

To comprehensively understand the challenges and opportunities associated with biodiversity and to develop practical solutions for its conservation and sustainable use, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) launched in 2023 the National Research Programme “Promoting Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Services for Switzerland” (NRP 82), based on its mandate from the Federal Council.

In the preparatory phase of 2024, seecon, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), the Lebensraum Lenzburg Seetal initiative, and the Landscape and Water Department of the Canton of Aargau, developed the project “Regional Approach for biodiversity Visioning and policy intEgratioN (RAVEN)” for the Lenzburg-Seetal region. The project has been approved for the research phase starting in 2025.

The overarching goal of our project is to develop a method for participatory interaction among stakeholders that fosters social learning and supports the creation of integrated decision-making and resource use rules aimed at promoting biodiversity at the regional level. Based on this, a guideline will be developed to help transfer the approach to other regions.

We will initiate and evaluate a negotiation process among stakeholders in the Lenzburg-Seetal region concerning the type and extent of natural areas, resulting in a shared vision for agricultural, forestry, and natural development in the region. This will enable stakeholders to focus on common interests and identify potential synergies. We will then analyze which intersectorally defined measures, incentive mechanisms, or compensation schemes can increase the acceptance of biodiversity promotion.

seecon supported WSL and the Canton of Aargau in the participatory development of the research proposal during the project’s preparatory phase and will be responsible during the research phase for moderating the transdisciplinary workshops with regional stakeholders. In this way, the activities carried out by seecon are:

Explore and discover

Contributions were made during the preparatory phase through various analytical steps to better understand the case study area and explore the research topic.

Co-create and design