How do we make sure the transformation is just and fair?

“The green transformation offers plenty of opportunities. But many people, not least here in the region, are afraid it will result in a kind of neo-colonialism, with companies given free rein by politicians to do whatever they like without considering locals’ experiences and needs. I’m trying to find out how we can make sure the transformation will be fair, equal, democratic and sustainable,” says Camilla Sandström.

UNESCO, the UN’s agency for education, science, culture and communication, regularly establishes UNESCO Chairs – teams at universities around the world that then spend four years working on a project to advance knowledge and higher education in an area that is important to UNESCO. The Chairs are led by a Chairholder, who holds a UNESCO professorship. Chairholders build bridges between their own field of research, society, civil society organisations and decision-makers.

Many people, not least here in the region, are afraid the transformation will result in a kind of neo-colonialism, with companies given free rein by politicians without having to consider locals’ experiences and needs.

Test sites for inclusion

Camilla Sandström was awarded a UNESCO professorship for her research on biosphere reserves as ‘laboratories’ for the inclusive transformation of societies. UNESCO’s biosphere reserves function as test sites where new methods can be developed in cooperation with local residents. Sweden is home to four such reserves; Camilla Sandström mainly works with the Vindel River-Juhttátahkka one.

“As a political scientist, I’m interested in exploring whether, and how, we can steer the current transformation. How is power distributed in the process? Who gets to have a say? Past research suggests that governance only becomes sustainable when you involve the people that are affected. They need to be able to contribute to the transformation.

“Apart from doing research, my team and I also work with different actors to find ways to cooperate on climate and environmental issues at different levels – so a local forest owner or reindeer herder gets to work with national politicians, for example. Because it is at the local level that climate policy is put into practice. That’s why it’s important to develop sustainable solutions that actually work for people in their daily lives. We need to foster trust between people, politicians and public authorities. To try and understand how we can achieve that, we try different collaboration and dialogue approaches in these biosphere reserves. The reserves are a kind of ‘labs’ in which we pilot solutions.”

Past research suggests that governance only becomes sustainable if you involve the people that are affected. They need to be able to contribute to the transformation.

Camilla Sandström conducts her research in cooperation with the Vindel River-Juhttátahkka biosphere reserve, the Swedish Sami Association and the County Administrative Board.

“A biosphere reserve is a forum in which we can brainstorm new ideas and try out new methods. One example is the research project ‘Bring down to sky to the earth’; its results were discussed in a study group, to invite landowners to get involved in climate discussions, with their own land ownership as a point of departure. Similar study group discussions are now held all across Sweden.”

Sustainably managing the lion population

UNESCO Chairholders are also expected to contribute to international partnerships and networks. Camilla Sandström works with biosphere reserves in Tanzania, South Africa and Canada.

“In Tanzania, we’re developing sustainable ways to manage the local lion population. The idea is that since the Maasai living in the area suffer from the lions’ presence, they should get a say in how to manage the population. The project has two components: the Maasai are employed to track the lions with a GPS collar and keep them away from the cattle, but they are also paid to help preserve the lion population. The project was designed in cooperation with the Maasai. What we researchers do is to analyse whether the inclusive project design makes it easier to achieve the project’s goals – like increasing tolerance between the villagers and local wildlife. The communities that participate in the project are free to decide what to spend the money on. This year, they used it to buy uniforms and other school supplies for children who had finished middle school and were leaving for boarding school. My role in the project has been to follow up on results; in January 2023, I travelled to the area to interview the local villagers, authorities and politicians. While the results aren’t unequivocal, there is plenty to suggest that the approach works, both for the people and the animals involved.”

The idea is that since the Maasai living in the area suffer from the lions’ presence, they should get a say in how to manage the population.

Environment as the leitmotif

Camilla Sandström is part of a research group with a wide set of skills that unites researchers from both Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

“Studying climate and environmental issues requires an interdisciplinary research group and skills from different sectors. Because climate is connected to everything from security to how AI might be able to help us protect the climate. I would like to see Sweden adopt a similarly broad approach in its climate and environmental policy. Efforts to increase biological diversity are often limited to one-off, standalone initiatives. Politicians sometimes decide to protect biodiversity in a specific area, for example, while the more important question is how we can preserve biodiversity across the country, everywhere we use land. Research has an important role to play in finding solutions that incentivise individuals and organisations to do their bit, and in developing better methods to, say, manage forests to help us reach our climate goals.”