Integrating governance and modeling

Keywords

Sustainable use of land and water resources; collective action; multi-stakeholder governance structures; planning/decision support based on multi-agent systems

Countries

Chile, Ghana

Summary

This recent project is part of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food. Its objective is to research the use of integrated simulation models as decision-tools in multi-stakeholder negotiation processes at the sub-basin level. The project sites are the White Volta (Ghana) and the Maule basin (Chile), where construction of agent-based simulation models that combine economic and hydrological sub-models is already underway. The project will focus on (1) the analysis and strengthening of multi-stakeholder governance structures in the two project sites, (2) the identification of problems, policy options to address the problems, and criteria for evaluation policy options by stakeholders, (3) the extension of simulation models to incorporate the impact of climate change on land and water use decisions of risk-averse producers, (4) the evaluation of alternative policy options, as identified by stakeholders, (5) the development of decision-support tools that present and visualize the outputs of the simulation models in a form that is useful for the stakeholders, and (6) the actual use of the decision-support tools in negotiation and planning processes in the multi-stakeholder governance structures.

Dissemination strategies will be based on the development of different formats and media targeted to different audiences, and will include: materials prepared for stakeholder workshops, a film that can be used for extension purposes, training materials for using and managing the computer simulation model, participation in regional and virtual networks (i.e. e-groups of Water for Food Challenge Program projects), policy briefs, research reports and journal articles.

Main Cooperation Partners

Scientific Partners: Winston Andah (WRI), Felix Asante (ISSER), Regina Birner (Uni Göttingen), José Díaz (Uni Talca), Harald Kunstmann (IMK-IFU), Nancy McCarthy (IFPRI), Ruth Meinzen-Dick (IFPRI), Carlos Mena (Uni Talca), Roberto Pizarro (Uni Talca), Heidi Wittmer (UfZ-Leipzig)

Main Funding Partners

CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food

Duration of the Project

May 2004 – April 2008