CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Horvath, Linda |
|---|---|
| Title | The role of scenario development in environmental decision making Sustainable development in the Lake Balaton region in Hungary Case study: Environmental Protection Cooperation Model of Gyenesdias |
| Summary | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ‘Sustainable development’ has been defined as a type of development that do not compromises the life of future generations while the needs of present ones are fullfilled. This however appeals to long-term thinking and responsible decision-making, neither being the strength of today’s political agenda in Hungary. It is not only inherently challenging to think about the future and take steps today to achieve changes decades later, but it is also often against the dominant political and economic interests and perspectives. Recognizing the need to reform and inform policy making processes, scenario development has become a wide-spread tool for strategic environmental decision making. While traditional scenario methods appeal to the expertise of policy makers and scientists, there is an emerging trend to involve a wider range of stakeholders into scenario analysis, referred to as participatory scenario development. This emerging trend suggests that civil society representatives are a key factor in decision making processes. Although scenario development is not yet a widespread planning tool in Hungary, it is gradually gathering ground, especially at a micro level. The primary aim of this work is therefore to demonstrate that stakeholder involvment in decision making processes is necessary to achieve a paradigm shift in ecosystem management and to step on a sustainability pathway. The Lake Balaton Region – environmentally one of the most diverse, economically the most productive, and socially the most complex regions in Hungary – was identified as a suitable pilot area for the scope of the research since it has become a pioneer in the process of transition to sustainability. The secondary aim of this paper is therefore to assess sustainable development challenges of the Lake Balaton Region and to explore the applicability of scenario methods to answer to these challenges. Besides a comprehensive literature review, a series of interviews were conducted with a number of experts and decision makers that helped to unveil the central finding of this work: the recent development of an Environmental Protection Cooperation Model by the civil society of the town of Gyenesdiás. This fully participatory inititiative has the potential to lead to the creation of a Balaton-wide sustainability network recognized and supported by local and national decision makers. Key words: sustainable development, scenario development, participatory backcasting, Lake Balaton Region, Environmental Protection Cooperation Model |
| Supervisor | Pinter, Laszlo |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/horvath_linda.pdf |
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