Connecting wildfire risk reduction and land stewardship: social learning through adaptation pathways in Montseny, Catalonia (Spain)

Wildfire management is becoming an increasingly complex issue that requires collaboration of diverse sectors. In addition, it is important to empower local communities to contribute to the decision-making processes. Social learning (individuals changing their understanding of an issue and furthering relationships) is a key ingredient in transdisciplinary collaborations aiming at complex social-ecological systems change. However, few studies in wildfire management consider social learning outcomes. This paper addresses this gap through a transdisciplinary case study: we explore how an adaptation pathways process has supported social learning outcomes for reducing wildfire risk in the Montseny and Tordera River watershed in Catalonia, Spain. We assessed how an adaptation pathways approach facilitated social learning outcomes (systems thinking, shared understanding, relational aspects, and substantive outcomes), and how this can benefit wildfire risk reduction efforts. Our findings show that the adaptation pathways process encouraged complex systems thinking among participants while addressing power relations in the territory, and provided creative ways to consider feasible local actions beyond administrative changes. We also observed how increased informal networks among participants play a role in achieving deeper social cohesion and land stewardship goals beyond wildfire risk reduction. Additionally, our social learning outcomes form part of longer-term processes of boundary-spanning work by local entities. Finally, the adaptation pathways provided an opportunity for innovative local wildfire governance that can be replicated in other areas of the world seeking more polycentric and anticipatory approaches that embrace complexity and encourage cross-sector synergies.