Abstract
Decision Support Systems, and, more recently, participatory and collaborative modelling have emerged as a response to increased focus on stakeholder participation in modelling activities for certain fields like water resources management. Researchers and practitioners frequently use ‘buzzwords’ such as ‘participatory modelling’ and ‘collaborative modelling’. In some cases, both terms are used interchangeably, largely due to unclear distinction between them in literature. This article draws the line between participatory and collaborative modelling by using levels of participation and cooperation as conditioning dimensions. Based on this methodology, a new generic framework is presented. This framework can help identify determinant features of both modelling approaches currently used in water resources management. It permits analysis of these approaches in terms of context, specific use, information handling, stakeholder involvement, modelling team and means. The article concludes with an application of the framework to a collaborative modelling approach carried out for a groundwater study in the Netherlands.
Highlights
Over recent decades Water Resources Management (WRM) has experienced a significant transformation
In this article we propose that participatory and collaborative modelling for policy analysis in WRM rests upon the integration of four key pillars: (i) water resources planning, (ii) informed decision making by means of computer-based models, (iii) stakeholder participation, and (iv) negotiation (Fig. 1)
Participatory and collaborative modelling are an emerging set of approaches that cover a variety of ways to combine these elements
Summary
Over recent decades Water Resources Management (WRM) has experienced a significant transformation. This is in large part due to unclear distinction having been made between them in the literature This makes it difficult for researchers, practitioners and policy makers to identify which participatory or collaborative modelling approach is best suited to each type of decision making and related processes (Bots and van Daalen, 2008; Hare, 2011; Serrat-Capdevila et al, 2011). To support such identification, a new framework for evaluating participatory and collaborative modelling approaches in WRM has been developed and is presented in this article. The article concludes with a general discussion on the suitability of the framework and future research directions
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