Paradoxical tensions in producing knowledge for environmental planning and decision making

Abstract

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a procedure for producing knowledge for environmental planning and decision making. The aim of this study is to find out the information and knowledge management challenges of EIA and consider the connection between the identified challenges and paradoxical tensions in the knowledge production process. The aim is to answer the research question: What kind of information and knowledge management challenges and paradoxical tensions appear in the production of knowledge for environmental planning and decision making? The study was conducted as an interview study of EIA consultants and EIA authorities in Finland (n=24) with the aim of finding out how the practitioners of EIA understand the knowledge management practices of EIA. Results demonstrate the existence of different paradoxical tensions in the EIA procedure. Findings also reveal different identities of EIA authorities and EIA consultants and resulting differences between practitioners’ way of thinking. For the EIA practice, this study concludes that even though EIA is a legal procedure, many paradoxical tensions affect how it is implemented in practice and what kind of impacts it has. An argument is presented that paradoxical tensions lie behind many of the challenges of information and knowledge management. Future research could delve deeper into the question of how EIA practitioners respond to the paradoxical tensions, and how these responses affect the effectiveness of EIA and sustainability outcomes.