In a series of articles dedicated to supporting regions facing environmental challenges, we explore how ACTeon tackles complex projects at the intersection of biodiversity, water management and socio-economic dynamics. Today, we return with Tangi Corveler and Vincent Jolivet to discuss the Mediterranean Coastal Reedbeds project, an experiment that illustrates how a systemic, multidisciplinary and multi-scale approach can transform ecological issues into levers for collective action. This feedback highlights an innovative methodology, where flexibility, listening and trust become the pillars of successful adaptation to climate change.
Feedback on the mediterranean coastal roselieres project
Mediterranean coastal reed beds occupy a unique place in coastal areas. At the crossroads of biodiversity, water management, socio-economic uses and spatial restructuring in the face of climate change, they can play a structuring role at the interface of multiple territorial, ecological and socio-economic issues. It is in this context that ACTeon provided four years of support to the collective of stakeholders involved in the Mediterranean coastal reed beds project.
The project had two objectives: to produce operational knowledge to better understand the dynamics at work, while strengthening the collective capacity of stakeholders to act in the face of climate uncertainty. Experience shows how much this ambition requires not only appropriate tools, but also a renewed approach to support.
A consistent methodological approach, designed for complexity
From the outset, our support for the project has been structured around three key pillars: systemic thinking, multidisciplinarity and multiscalarity, which are closely interlinked. – Tangi Corveler
Systemic
A systemic approach as a guiding principle: reed beds were approached as systems of interactions between hydrology, biodiversity, land use, land ownership, economics and governance. This systemic interpretation made it possible to identify the interactions and interdependencies between these components, which often extend beyond traditional management boundaries.
Multidisciplinary
A hybridisation of disciplines: ecology, hydrology, social sciences, socio-economics, land use and urban planning were brought together thanks to some fifteen partners involved in the project. This cross-fertilisation of perspectives made it possible to go beyond sectoral diagnoses and informed the project’s management by bringing together different points of view, enabling the reed beds to be analysed from several angles and thus to understand the many issues at stake.
Multiscale
The articulation of territorial scales established a link between local dynamics and regional processes, ensuring consistent actions from the site to territorial planning: thus, at the regional level, the project contributed to a strategic vision of the ‘turquoise grid’ type, offering political consistency, capitalisation and networking; at the inter-site level, it enabled a robust experimental approach, comparing complementary configurations, based on a logic of watersheds and ecological continuity; finally, at the local level, it produced detailed diagnoses that were directly operational for managers.
These three pillars are not a method applied on an ad hoc basis, but rather a way of working. They enable us to tackle complex projects without oversimplifying them, while remaining focused on multifaceted action plans that mobilise a diverse range of stakeholders within a framework of nested territorial scales. – Vincent Jolivet
Delve into the heart of a complex ecosystem and discover how each player, at their own level and according to their expertise, can make a concrete commitment through the series ‘Roselière : À chacun son rôle’ (Roselière : Everyone has a role to play
An original approach to support: flexibility, attentiveness and trust
Beyond the deliverables, one of the major unique features of this experience lies in the approach adopted by the ACTeon team and its links with ADENA, the project sponsor. Although the support was contracted as a service, it had to be part of an adaptive management approach. Throughout the project, the objectives were regularly adjusted to respond to the emerging needs of the stakeholders, unexpected lessons learned, and the rapidly changing climate and territorial context.
This exploratory approach, which can sometimes feel uncomfortable when compared to traditional specifications—which are often precise, rigid, and sequential—proved to be one of the keys to the project’s success. – Tangi Corveler
It has enabled us to become more relevant by re-examining the initial objectives, exploring blind spots and emerging issues, and accepting uncertainty as a normal part of the work, especially in the context of climate change and widespread fluctuations (social, economic, health uncertainties, etc.).
This flexibility was only possible thanks to a relationship of mutual trust that was gradually built up between ACTeon, ADENA, and all the partners, including beneficiary managers, facilitating institutions, and funders.
Faced with complexity, we opted for action research: moving forward with stakeholders, learning by doing, and continuously adapting the project’s management. When we brought up the subject of spatial restructuring of the coastline in response to the effects of climate change, no one initially imagined devoting resources to defining the place of reed beds and the role of managers in these processes. However, this is a very important dynamic for the future of coastlines.” – Vincent Jolivet
A valuable lesson: towards more flexible
and adaptive planning for climate change adaptation projects
The experience of the Mediterranean Coastal Reedbeds project highlights a key lesson: climate change adaptation projects can no longer be conceived solely within linear, predictive, and fixed frameworks. By their very nature, these projects are complex, uncertain, and evolving, and are subject to significant social, ecological, and political fluctuations.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to anticipate all the needs, obstacles, and opportunities involved in a project spanning several years.” – Tangi Corveler
Conversely, this experience shows the value of adopting an exploratory and action-research approach, and accepting constant adjustments to trajectories while maintaining a collective course.
Flexibility in coordination, the ability to re-examine objectives along the way, and listening to those working in the field have made it possible to increase relevance, sometimes even beyond the actions initially envisaged.
Adaptation projects should no longer be thought of as fixed trajectories, but rather as learning paths, built collectively amid uncertainty. This impacts our relationship with our sponsors, as everyone must adopt an attitude of listening and mutual trust.” – Tangi Corveler
And now, how should we proceed?
Managing a project in a fluctuating world requires shifting from a mindset of control to one of learning, as researcher Olivier Hamant, whom we supported in his work on resilience, so often emphasizes. However, operationalizing this paradigm shift remains a major challenge, and in retrospect, the Mediterranean Coastal Reedbeds project provides us with some concrete courses of action for achieving this:
Lesson 1: Inform all stakeholders about the learning process inherent in complex exploratory projects, thereby establishing a working relationship based on trust and mutual listening.
As part of the RLM project, the simultaneous conduct of socioeconomic assessments in a climate change context at five pilot sites revealed structural issues that had been little explored by managers, such as the management of water inflows and outflows in a reed bed, or the place of reed beds and the role of managers in spatial restructuring processes. The project was able to demonstrate flexibility by reallocating resources to explore these issues in greater depth, thereby enhancing the relevance and sophistication of our understanding of the dynamics at work in reed beds in the face of climate change.
Lesson 2: Have a clear direction but flexible goals, leaving room for exploration and learning.
As part of the RLM project, assessing the vulnerability of reed beds by 2050 was a real catalyst for collective awareness. The need to anticipate and strengthen adaptation capacities became clear, even if the methods of action (the “how”) remained to be developed. The course was set, and the path gradually took shape.
Lesson 3: Schedule formal times for reflection to integrate unexpected lessons learned (can be added to the agenda of regular project steering committee meetings).
Within the framework of the RLM project, these times were not always formalized or explicitly identified, but emerged naturally as questions arose about the conduct of the project and difficulties encountered in implementing certain actions. Thus, following the socio-economic assessments conducted in the context of climate change, regional events were initially planned for each pilot site. However, it quickly became apparent that it was necessary to explore cross-cutting and structural issues for all stakeholders (and for which managers would inevitably be questioned), such as water resource management, even though resources had initially been earmarked for other actions.
Lesson 4: Provide projects with a governance mechanism/body capable of reorienting actions/questioning initial directions as knowledge grows.
It is a question of reorganizing flexibility, not improvising it. In the context of the RLM project, this learning process was formulated retrospectively: the relationships of trust already established between the actors enabled exchanges and decisions to be made on an ongoing basis. Funders, such as the Rhône Méditerranée Corse Water Agency and the Occitanie Region, thus understood
and supported the proposed reorientations. With hindsight, a more explicit initial framework could have formalized shared criteria for readjustment (emergence of new issues, changes in the climate context, stakeholders’ needs, interim results), clear collective decision-making procedures, and better traceability of the changes/readjustments made.
And of course, that’s what we do best at ACTeon! We can help you with this process!