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The problem of fit revolves around one fundamental
idea; it asserts that the effectiveness of social institutions is
a function of the match between the characteristics of the institutions
themselves and the characteristics of the biogeophysical systems
with which they interact. The better the match or fit between an
institution and the relevant biophysical system(s), the more effective
the institution will be.
A key result of IDGEC research on the problem of fit
is that misfits or mismatches are not only common but also difficult
to eliminate or overcome. Misfits may stem from a number of sources,
including misconceptions about the nature of the problem at hand,
jurisdictional rigidities, and the pursuit of political interests
or rent seeking behavior. In many cases, there are opportunities
to restructure prevailing institutions to alleviate misfits leading
to performance deficiencies. Even so, misfits are often difficult
to alleviate, much less to eliminate.
The effectiveness of specific institutions often depends
not only on their own features but also on their interactions with
other institutions. Environmental damage typically occurs as a side
effect of other activities, such as the production and consumption
of various goods or services. Interplay includes a variety of linkages
and interactions among and between institutions at the same (horizontal
linkage) or different societal levels (vertical linkage). There
are two types or dimensions of institutional interplay, functional
and political. Functional links exist whenever the operation of
one institution directly affects the effectiveness or robustness
of another, or when (inter)dependence relationships exist in the
specific biophysical context or social setting. Political linkages
are politically constructed linkages that exist whenever actors
decide to consider two or more institutions as parts of a larger
complex or package.
IDGEC research has shown that it is easy to identify
specific cases of institutional interplay that produce synergies
or mutually beneficial interactions, as well as other cases in which
the interactions prove harmful to one or both sides.
The problem of scale, long a subject of interest in
the natural sciences, is emerging as a significant focus of attention
among those concerned with the institutional dimensions of environmental
change. Unlike vertical interplay, which directs attention to cross-scale
interactions, the problem of scale centers on the extent to which
it is possible to scale up or down propositions regarding the role
of institutions in causing and confronting environmental problems.
A particular focus in this connection within the IDGEC community
centers on the extent to which propositions about arrangements that
serve to govern human uses of natural resources at the local level
are applicable to similar concerns at the international level and
vice versa. One interesting line of enquiry raises the question
of whether or not we can develop a unified theory of environmental
governance that holds across levels of social organization. The
answer to this question remains unclear at this stage. But efforts
to address the issue seem likely to generate significant insights,
regardless of the overall conclusions they eventually produce.
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