Transformative Modeling: Building Capacity for Transformation in Large Scale Socio-Technical Systems using Computer Modeling with Stakeholders

Coherent responses to wicked problems such as climate change require a new way of doing science and tools to give insight into the transformation of large-scale socio-technical systems. Simulation models support transformative processes by offering a simplified version of reality and a boundary object that unites stakeholders around a simplified...

Implementing participatory water management: Recent advances in theory, practice, and evaluation

Many current water planning and management problems are riddled with high levels of complexity, uncertainty, and conflict, so-called “messes” or “wicked problems.” The realization that there is a need to consider a wide variety of values, knowledge, and perspectives in a collaborative decision making process has led to a multitude of new methods...

Implementing Participatory Water Management: Recent Advances in Theory, Practice, and Evaluation

Many current water planning and management problems are riddled with high levels of complexity, uncertainty, and conflict, so-called “messes” or “wicked problems.” The realization that there is a need to consider a wide variety of values, knowledge, and perspectives in a collaborative decision making process has led to a multitude of new methods...

Social Learning and Water Resources Management

Natural resources management in general, and water resources management in particular, are currently undergoing a major paradigm shift. Management practices have largely been developed and implemented by experts using technical means based on designing systems that can be predicted and controlled. In recent years, stakeholder involvement has...

Social Learning in European River-Basin Management: Barriers and Fostering Mechanisms from 10 River Basins

We present and analyze 10 case studies of participatory river-basin management that were conducted as part of the European HarmoniCOP project. The main theme was social learning, which emphasizes the importance of collaboration, organization, and learning. The case studies show that social learning in river-basin management is not an unrealistic...