Work

Towards an understanding of socio-environmental conflicts over natural commons in the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Socio-environmental conflicts over natural commons represent a growing challenge for sustainability governance, yet their dynamics remain poorly understood within complex Social-Ecological Systems (SESs). This study examines six emblematic conflicts in the Venice Lagoon (Italy), a complex SES undergoing profound transformations driven by land-use change and the privatisation of natural commons. Drawing on Ostrom’s SES framework and system thinking tools, we combine document analysis with semi-structured interviews to reconstruct conflict trajectories and identify recurring determinants across cases involving protected areas, rural landscapes, and abandoned islands. Our findings reveal a common rationale: public–private partnerships promoting redevelopment projects frequently clash with bottom-up initiatives affecting ecological integrity, cultural heritage and equitable access to natural commons. Conflicts are shaped by governance asymmetries, opaque decision-making and economic incentives linked to tourism, while ecological fragility and cultural values amplify contestation. Despite contextual differences, all cases exhibit procedural issues - such as lack of transparency - and substantial concerns related to habitat conservation and land-use change. Applying Ostrom’s SES framework in combination with system thinking theory enabled us to disentangle multi-level interactions between actors, governance systems, and ecological components, highlighting feedback loops between institutional arrangements and grassroots mobilisation. These insights underscore the need for conflict-sensitive governance prioritising transparency, inclusiveness and adaptive strategies to reconcile development with ecological resilience. Mechanisms such as collective management, legal recognition of ecosystems as rights-bearing entities and multi-level coordination emerge as promising pathways for mitigating tensions. While rooted in the Venetian context, our conceptual contribution offers broader applicability for studying socio-environmental conflicts in other SESs facing similar challenges of commons commodification.

Source: Sustainability Science

DOI: 10.1007/s11625-026-01898-6

Authors: Federico Tonegatti, Valentino Marini Govigli

Institutions: University of Bologna, CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change

Language: English

Topic: Coastal and Marine Management

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Life on land, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,890