Facilitation Model for Supporting Integrative Water Resource Management

Vanessa Batista Schramm (), Alexandre de Araújo Gomes Júnior () and Fernando Schramm ()
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Vanessa Batista Schramm: Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG)
Alexandre de Araújo Gomes Júnior: Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG)
Fernando Schramm: Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG)

Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), 2022, vol. 36, issue 13, No 3, 4913-4931

Abstract: Abstract In this paper, the Soft Systems Methodology foundations was integrated to a water resources management model to construct a facilitation process to support integrative water resources management. The facilitation model aims to achieve agreements over conflicts, by promoting engagement of actors to construct a common and holistic understanding about the problematic situation through an interactive, participative, clear, and transparent process. The facilitation model is divided into two phases: (i) Preparing Logistics and (ii) Work meeting. The first phase starts when a conflict emerges, then, the facilitator should prepare the logistics necessary to proceed with the examination of the problem, including the selection of volunteers who will compose the work group. The second phase is intended to the application of an interactive and participatory modeling approach organized into five steps: 1 - Expressing the problematic situation; 2 - Constructing a multi-sectoral representation; 3 - Examining the multi-sectoral representation; 4 - Building a conceptual model; and 5 - Exploring actions. To illustrate its application, we applied these steps to structure a real complex problematic situation that exists in an area of the watershed of the Paraiba do Norte River, in Northeastern Brazil. To construct a multi-sectoral representation of the problem, perspectives of different actors who are involved in the problem were considered. We conclude that the model is a powerful tool for the analysis of complex problems, for which there is no consensus regarding alternatives to solve/mitigate it and/or there is a high level of uncertainties involved in the decision-making process.

Keywords: Problem Structuring Methods (PSM); Soft Systems Methodology (SSM); Environmental conflicts; Social-ecological systems; Watershed committees (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11269-022-03282-2

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