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- Info
Breaking the impasse: Helping communities cope with change at the rural-urban interface
| Author: |
Abdalla, Charles W.; Kelsey, Timothy W. |
| Date: |
1996 |
| Periodical: |
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation |
| Abstract: |
As communities and agriculture change, the juxtaposition of farming and other rural activities has become a battleground over water and related nutrient management issues, odors, insects, and other community impacts of changing land uses. These conflicts can turn neighbor against neighbor, threaten livelihoods and traditional ways of living, and tear communities apart. Conflicts between just a few neighbors all too often escalate into larger community, county, or state-wide debates over who is "right" and what should be done. If the situation gets out-of-hand, significant economic and emotional costs may result for all involved no matter who "wins." As resource persons or decision-making authorities, natural resource professionals are often called upon to help resolve these difficult conflicts. The manner in which we respond and the information and assistance provided influence the debate and ultimately affect whether the conflict is resolved satisfactorily. In this article, it is argued that the tendencies of stakeholders and technical experts to frame rural urban conflicts in single-issue terms and to attempt to solve them with simple "silver bullet" technical or policy fixes are unlikely to address these complex issues effectively. To be successful, natural resource managers will need to go beyond their traditional analytical modes and understated the multi-dimensional nature of conflicts associated with modern agriculture. In addition, they must find ways of crossing disciplinary and organizational boundaries to work with other experts to develop innovative solutions and ways of assisting local stakeholders. Based on our experience with rural-urban issues in Pennsylvania, we suggest an approach and some specific steps for natural resource professionals that make workable long-run solutions of agricultural conflicts more likely. |
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