Presentation short abstract

In this paper, we set out an agenda for convivial conservation along the urban waterfront—the blue frontier of conservation (in)justice—focusing on the practices of NGOs working to preserve urban coastal wetlands and their societal role along Europe's southern and eastern periphery.

Presentation long abstract

In this paper, we set out an agenda for convivial conservation along the urban waterfront—the blue frontier of conservation (in)justice. Amidst calls for green and blue growth, coastal communities especially along the shorelines of Southern and Eastern Europe increasingly find themselves losing ground in favor of a range of blue economy projects: tourist resorts, large-scale nature-based solutions, or speculative investments in alternative energy. The interests of nature conservation, along with the vital significance of traditional livelihoods and the natural areas that sustain them, are frequently left behind in these dynamics.

While convivial conservation has recently gained popularity in scholarly circles as a paradigm that can offer pathways towards conservation justice, as a pragmatic conservation strategy the approach still needs to engage significantly with the everyday conservation efforts occurring on the frontlines of societal change. In this paper, we focus specifically on existing practices NGOs across Europe deploy to preserve urban coastal wetlands while navigating the challenges, limitations, and opportunities ingrained in global calls for urban biodiversity and nature-based solutions. We especially foreground the types of collective and diverse economic practices through which NGO experts reemphasize the symbiotic role that lagoons, lakes, and marshes play in coastal cities along Europe’s southern and eastern periphery.