Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management

Managing water for sustainable use and economic development is both a technical and a governance challenge in which knowledge production and sharing play a central role. This article evaluates and compares the role of participatory governance and scientific information in decision-making in four bas...

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Main Authors: Jacobs K., Lebel L., Buizer J., Addams L., Matson P., McCullough E., Garden P., Saliba G., Finan T.
Format: Journal
Published: 2017
Online Access:https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84964770479&origin=inward
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/41945
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Institution: Chiang Mai University
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spelling th-cmuir.6653943832-419452017-09-28T04:24:19Z Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management Jacobs K. Lebel L. Buizer J. Addams L. Matson P. McCullough E. Garden P. Saliba G. Finan T. Managing water for sustainable use and economic development is both a technical and a governance challenge in which knowledge production and sharing play a central role. This article evaluates and compares the role of participatory governance and scientific information in decision-making in four basins in Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States. Water management institutions in each of the basins have evolved during the last 10-20 years from a relatively centralized water-management structure at the state or national level to a decision structure that involves engaging water users within the basins and the development of participatory processes. This change is consistent with global trends in which states increasingly are expected to gain public acceptance for larger water projects and policy changes. In each case, expanded citizen engagement in identifying options and in decision-making processes has resulted in more complexity but also has expanded the culture of integrated learning. International funding for water infrastructure has been linked to requirements for participatory management processes, but, ironically, this study finds that participatory processes appear to work better in the context of decisions that are short-term and easily adjusted, such as water-allocation decisions, and do not work so well for longer-term, high-stakes decisions regarding infrastructure. A second important observation is that the costs of capacity building to allow meaningful stakeholder engagement in water-management decision processes are not widely recognized. Failure to appreciate the associated costs and complexities may contribute to the lack of successful engagement of citizens in decisions regarding infrastructure. 2017-09-28T04:24:19Z 2017-09-28T04:24:19Z 2016-04-26 Journal 00278424 2-s2.0-84964770479 10.1073/pnas.0813125107 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84964770479&origin=inward http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/41945
institution Chiang Mai University
building Chiang Mai University Library
country Thailand
collection CMU Intellectual Repository
description Managing water for sustainable use and economic development is both a technical and a governance challenge in which knowledge production and sharing play a central role. This article evaluates and compares the role of participatory governance and scientific information in decision-making in four basins in Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States. Water management institutions in each of the basins have evolved during the last 10-20 years from a relatively centralized water-management structure at the state or national level to a decision structure that involves engaging water users within the basins and the development of participatory processes. This change is consistent with global trends in which states increasingly are expected to gain public acceptance for larger water projects and policy changes. In each case, expanded citizen engagement in identifying options and in decision-making processes has resulted in more complexity but also has expanded the culture of integrated learning. International funding for water infrastructure has been linked to requirements for participatory management processes, but, ironically, this study finds that participatory processes appear to work better in the context of decisions that are short-term and easily adjusted, such as water-allocation decisions, and do not work so well for longer-term, high-stakes decisions regarding infrastructure. A second important observation is that the costs of capacity building to allow meaningful stakeholder engagement in water-management decision processes are not widely recognized. Failure to appreciate the associated costs and complexities may contribute to the lack of successful engagement of citizens in decisions regarding infrastructure.
format Journal
author Jacobs K.
Lebel L.
Buizer J.
Addams L.
Matson P.
McCullough E.
Garden P.
Saliba G.
Finan T.
spellingShingle Jacobs K.
Lebel L.
Buizer J.
Addams L.
Matson P.
McCullough E.
Garden P.
Saliba G.
Finan T.
Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
author_facet Jacobs K.
Lebel L.
Buizer J.
Addams L.
Matson P.
McCullough E.
Garden P.
Saliba G.
Finan T.
author_sort Jacobs K.
title Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
title_short Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
title_full Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
title_fullStr Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
title_full_unstemmed Linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
title_sort linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable water-resources management
publishDate 2017
url https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84964770479&origin=inward
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/41945
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