Policy Integration for Complex Environmental Problems

Interest in policy integration took shape in the 1990s, when it became clear that policies built around single sectors, often poorly coordinated and sometimes working against one another, were unable to tackle the tangled, interlinked social and environmental problems of the time. Bringing policies together and aligning them is expected to resolve this mismatch between institutions and problems, give existing policies greater worth, strengthen planning at both national and regional levels, and move societies toward sustainable development. The author sets out a broad conceptual model of policy integration and examines the theoretical, methodological and practical questions it raises. These are explored through several European Union policy areas: rural development, regional development, transport, social affairs, the economy, the environment, water resources and biodiversity. Desertification around the Mediterranean serves as the central illustration. The book grew out of the author's work on policy responses to desertification within MEDACTION, a research project funded by the EU.