Systemic feedback modelling for sustainable water resources management and agricultural development: An application of participatory modelling approach in the Volta River Basin

Abstract

Although our understanding of water resource problems has grown in recent years, our ability to improve decision-making is still limited. Participatory modelling and stakeholder engagement is seen as an important tool that can facilitate strategic decision-making in environmental/natural resource management systems. This paper presents the participatory and methodological processes involved in the development of an integrated qualitative, conceptual model using causal loops diagrams to assist integrated water resources management and sustainable agricultural development in the Volta River Basin, West Africa. The developed integrated conceptual model provides a holistic understanding of the key biophysical and socio-economic factors and processes, and the role the systemic feedbacks play in determining the basin's behaviour. An ex-post analysis of the process with stakeholders showed that the process contributed to the shared understanding of the basin's problems. Based on our experience we present some lessons for the design and application of a participatory modelling process.