Local perspectives on development conflicts in a mountainous socio-ecological system: A Q methodology study

This study suggests an understanding, based on the local perspectives, of the underlying reasons why the municipality of Velingrad, a mountainous region with abundant natural resources and promising tourism sector does not retain its population and harness its endogenous potential to develop sustainably. Q methodology is employed to better comprehend how people collectively perceive certain problems and their solutions. The results lead us to three well-defined perspectives that highlight high-disagreement areas where dialogue and negotiation are most needed, especially around tourism’s role, environmental trade-offs, and benefit-sharing mechanisms. The study revealed deep distrust in the governing system and a general sense of political and ecological alienation. The future of mountain villages is not perceived as a collective responsibility, but rather as a challenge they are expected to manage on their own. As a result of these insights, the study suggests changing the course of local development and reframing the management model into a more open community-based platform that integrates local voices and energy by involving them not only in framing the policies but also in the implementation and monitoring process. This study uses Q methodology to explore how local stakeholders perceive the factors influencing the socio-ecological framework that guides local management decisions.