A Socio-Ecological Approach to Conserve and Manage Riverscapes in Designated Areas: Cases of the Loire River Valley and Dordogne Basin, France

A socio-ecological approach to conserving and managing riverscapes demonstrates success in integrating diverse stakeholder knowledge, fostering trust, and addressing conflicting interests. The study highlights the Loire River Valley (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Dordogne Basin (France's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) as positive examples of transdisciplinary management. Key to their achievements are participatory decision-making, recognition of rivers' natural dynamics, and coupling social and hydrological systems. By analyzing stakeholder relationships, threats, and socio-ecological dynamics through case studies and content analysis, the research identifies best practices—such as moderation skills, ingenuity, and perseverance—that can be applied to other riverscapes. The findings underscore the potential for coordinated conservation in fragmented river basins and advocate for broader adoption of such approaches.

Yousry, L., Cao, Y., Marmiroli, B., Guerri, O., Delaunay, G., Riquet, O., & Wantzen, K. M. (2022). A Socio-Ecological Approach to Conserve and Manage Riverscapes in Designated Areas: Cases of the Loire River Valley and Dordogne Basin, France. Sustainability, 14(24), 16677. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416677