Stakeholder Analysis and Social Network Analysis in Natural Resource Management

TLDR

Stakeholder analysis is increasingly used in natural resource management to influence decision making, avoid conflicts, prevent marginalization, and represent diverse interests. The study presents a case study from the Peak District National Park, UK, using social network analysis to inform stakeholder analysis. Social network analysis was applied to stakeholder data from the Peak District National Park to inform stakeholder analysis. The analysis identified central and peripheral stakeholders, guiding subsequent stakeholder selection.

Abstract

The increasing use of stakeholder analysis in natural resource management reflects a growing recognition that stakeholders can and should influence environmental decision making. Stakeholder analysis can be used to avoid inflaming conflicts, ensure that the marginalization of certain groups is not reinforced, and fairly represent diverse interests. We present a case study from the Peak District National Park in the United Kingdom, where we used social network analysis to inform stakeholder analysis. This information helped us identify which individuals and categories of stakeholder played more central roles in the network and which were more peripheral. This information guided our next steps for stakeholder selection. The article ends with a discussion on the strengths and limitations of combining social network analysis with stakeholder analysis.