Models and Decisions Support Systems for Participatory Decision Making in Integrated Water Resource Management (original) (raw)
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Towards better water governance: putting Integrated Water Resource Management in place
Water is a finite, renewable, yet in certain circumstances depletable, natural resource with essential value for life. The uneven distribution of water resources, amplified by numerous conflicting water uses, constrains economic development and the wellbeing of humans. The excessive quantity of water as a result of land use and/or climate change (and thus at least partly accountable to human activities) poses additional threats. To ensure an efficient allocation and protection of water, a holistic (integrated/comprehensive) management based on the principles of the ecosystem approach was endorsed by a broad scientific and policy community. Such management was aimed at promoting pro-active, nonstructural and demand-side interventions favouring a more cautious exploitation of resources, but the implementation of the concept may turn into a continuous frustration. Meanwhile, some authors consider IWRM an elusive (and fuzzy), amorphously-defined and evolving political process. In this paper we review the issues behind the lack of its successful implementation. We argue that the IWRM stands for policymaking which relies more than ever on interdisciplinary, pluralistic, inclusive approaches, with scientists participating alongside other stakeholders in deliberative decision-making, participatory assessment, or group model building. In the paper, we present a framework of water governance which facilitates the involvement of different actors in the formalisation of integrated environmental models and assists participatory planning and decision-making about water resources.
Developments in Participation within Integrated Water Management
NATO Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2008
In this paper we discuss new practices in water management regarding the involvement of people and stakeholders in the policy-making process. We intend to identify criteria that help in selecting a suitable type of participation for a specific case. After a broad exploration of some basics in literature about decision-making and public participation, we concentrate on adaptive management resulting from the ecosystem approach. Based on the level of interaction, we indicate six levels of participation between water managers and actors in society. Keeping in mind a distinction between a pluralist and a corporatist approach, we proceed with major criteria that play a role in the selection of a suitable design for a participatory decision-making. We conclude with some important questions that should be addressed in order to find a model that enables water managers to decide about their optimal styles of public and stakeholder participation in practical cases of decision-making. keywords: stakeholder participation, interactive policy-making, integrated water management
2013
The International Journal of Water Governance (IJWG) aims to become an important source of knowledge on governance of complex water systems, and an inspiration for all professionals in the water domain to improve the governance capacity in the domain in which they operate. In order to achieve this two-sided ambition we want to focus on actual and urgent theoretical issues and bring them further by application and elaboration in the domains of water. This will be the primary aim in the special issues. At the same time we will take care of the actual topics practitioners in the water domain are dealing with. From a variety of disciplines we will gather new insights on what constitutes the governance capacity with regard to specific topics, like water quality, flooding or scarcity.
Science of The Total Environment, 2017
Semi-arid regions are facing the challenge of managing water resources under conditions of increasing scarcity and drought. These are recently pressured by the impact of climate change favoring the shifting from using surface water to groundwater without taking sustainability issues into account. Likewise, water scarcity raises the competition for water among users, increasing the risk of social conflicts, as the availability of fresh water in sufficient quality and quantity is already one of the major factors limiting socioeconomic development. In terms of hydrology, semi-arid regions are characterized by very complex hydro-and hydrogeological systems. The complexity of the water cycle contrasts strongly with the poor data availability, (1) which limits the number of analysis techniques and methods available to researchers, (2) limits the accuracy of models and predictions, and (3) consequently challenges the capabilities to develop appropriate management measures to mitigate or adapt the environment to scarcity and drought conditions. Integrated water resources management is a holistic approach to focus on both environmental as well as on socioeconomic factors influencing water availability and supply. The management approaches and solutions adopted, e.g. in form of decision support for specific water resources systems, are often highly specific for individual case studies.
The concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was already recognized in agenda 21 of the United Nations “Earth Summit” on Environmental and Development that was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002, the international community has also took an important step towards more sustainable patterns of water management by develop IWRM and water efficiency plans with support to developing countries (Mokhtar, et al, 2004).
Critical Review of Integrated Water Resources Management
Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) emerged as a popular concept in the water sector in the 20th century. From a highly techno-centric approach in the past, it has taken a new turn embracing Habermasian communicative rationality as a place-based nexus for multiple actors to consensually and communicatively integrate decisions in a hydrological unit. The 'how to integrate' approach had remarkable appeal worldwide in promoting authentic participation of all stakeholders. However, critics argue that the domain of water resource management is a political process of contestation and negotiation; the emphasis is on complexities, contextuality, power dynamics and the importance of analysing real world situations. They demonstrate 'how integration cannot be achieved' given the power dynamics in social interactions. These apparently contradictory discourses draw on different theoretical paradigms and polarise the discourse on IWRM, without offering constructive alternatives. To this end, this paper offers an option to complement this polarised discourse by examining 'how integration actually does take place' in a strategic context thereby facilitating consensual decisions to integrate water management for a sustainable future.