An integrated framework for implementing freshwater protected areas informed by structured expert elicitation
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened globally, yet practical guidance for implementing targeted freshwater protected areas remains limited. While terrestrial and marine conservation planning is supported by established frameworks, freshwater conservation often lacks structured implementation models linking ecological prioritization with governance and operational management. This study develops and critically appraises a conceptual and operational framework integrating ecological assessment, governance structures, and sequential implementation phases to guide the implementation of river-focused Freshwater Protected Areas from prioritization to management. The framework was developed through structured literature synthesis and assessed through a single-round expert elicitation involving 43 respondents from nine countries across Europe, South America, and Oceania, covering academic, governmental, consultancy and non-governmental backgrounds. Quantitative results indicated generally high ratings regarding framework completeness, conceptual clarity, policy relevance, and internal coherence. Qualitative analysis of 479 open-ended comment units led mainly to clarity refinements and operational improvements, without structural changes. Expert elicitation provided conceptual appraisal and refinement of the literature-derived framework, rather than representative global validation, formal consensus-building or empirical field testing. Peer-review refinements were not reappraised by the expert panel; the final framework therefore builds on the expert-appraised version. The final framework emphasizes governance and stakeholder participation as cross-cutting elements and proposes sequential phases linking ecological prioritization, legal designation, and adaptive management. By integrating ecological knowledge with governance dimensions, the framework helps bridge the gap between freshwater conservation science and implementation. This structured approach may support more effective design and implementation of freshwater protected areas within broader conservation strategies.
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BibTeX
@article{valentim2026integrated,
title = {{An integrated framework for implementing freshwater protected areas informed by structured expert elicitation}},
author = {Helena I.L. Valentim and Salomé F.P. Almeida and Sérgio Bruno de Araújo Gonçalves da Costa and Simone da Graça Pinto Varandas and Luciano F.A. Montag and Francisca C Aguiar and Ana Filipa Filipe and Pedro Macedo and Virgílio Hermoso and Isabel Pardo and Núria Bonada and Sergi Sabater and Ronaldo Sousa and Renata Ruaro and Gorazd Urbanič and Marcos Callisto and Daniele Jovem-Azevêdo and Joaquim Jesus and Joseline Molozzi and Marie Anne Eurie Forio and Simon Linke and Juliette Tison-Rosebery and Rui M.V. Cortes and Sara C Antunes and Carlos Bernardo Mascarenhas Alves and Evaldo de Lira Azevêdo and Ana Raquel Santos Agra and Maria João Feio},
journal = {Environmental Science \& Policy},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104522},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05803580v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - An integrated framework for implementing freshwater protected areas informed by structured expert elicitation
AU - Helena I.L. Valentim
AU - Salomé F.P. Almeida
AU - Sérgio Bruno de Araújo Gonçalves da Costa
AU - Simone da Graça Pinto Varandas
AU - Luciano F.A. Montag
AU - Francisca C Aguiar
AU - Ana Filipa Filipe
AU - Pedro Macedo
AU - Virgílio Hermoso
AU - Isabel Pardo
AU - Núria Bonada
AU - Sergi Sabater
AU - Ronaldo Sousa
AU - Renata Ruaro
AU - Gorazd Urbanič
AU - Marcos Callisto
AU - Daniele Jovem-Azevêdo
AU - Joaquim Jesus
AU - Joseline Molozzi
AU - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
AU - Simon Linke
AU - Juliette Tison-Rosebery
AU - Rui M.V. Cortes
AU - Sara C Antunes
AU - Carlos Bernardo Mascarenhas Alves
AU - Evaldo de Lira Azevêdo
AU - Ana Raquel Santos Agra
AU - Maria João Feio
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Environmental Science & Policy
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104522
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05803580v1
AB - Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened globally, yet practical guidance for implementing targeted freshwater protected areas remains limited. While terrestrial and marine conservation planning is supported by established frameworks, freshwater conservation often lacks structured implementation models linking ecological prioritization with governance and operational management. This study develops and critically appraises a conceptual and operational framework integrating ecological assessment, governance structures, and sequential implementation phases to guide the implementation of river-focused Freshwater Protected Areas from prioritization to management. The framework was developed through structured literature synthesis and assessed through a single-round expert elicitation involving 43 respondents from nine countries across Europe, South America, and Oceania, covering academic, governmental, consultancy and non-governmental backgrounds. Quantitative results indicated generally high ratings regarding framework completeness, conceptual clarity, policy relevance, and internal coherence. Qualitative analysis of 479 open-ended comment units led mainly to clarity refinements and operational improvements, without structural changes. Expert elicitation provided conceptual appraisal and refinement of the literature-derived framework, rather than representative global validation, formal consensus-building or empirical field testing. Peer-review refinements were not reappraised by the expert panel; the final framework therefore builds on the expert-appraised version. The final framework emphasizes governance and stakeholder participation as cross-cutting elements and proposes sequential phases linking ecological prioritization, legal designation, and adaptive management. By integrating ecological knowledge with governance dimensions, the framework helps bridge the gap between freshwater conservation science and implementation. This structured approach may support more effective design and implementation of freshwater protected areas within broader conservation strategies.
SN - 1462-9011
SN - 1873-6416
ER -