Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index
Sustainable watershed management requires effective stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production. Currently, most methods for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in the field are case-specific, applied in an ad hoc manner, and not tested across various spatial scales or water ma...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Current Research in Environmental Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049022000846 |
| _version_ | 1797798589448060928 |
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| author | Maíra Ometto Bezerra Derek Vollmer Nicholas J. Souter Kashif Shaad Sarah Hauck Maria Clara Marques Silindile Mtshali Natalia Acero Yiqing Zhang Eddy Mendoza |
| author_facet | Maíra Ometto Bezerra Derek Vollmer Nicholas J. Souter Kashif Shaad Sarah Hauck Maria Clara Marques Silindile Mtshali Natalia Acero Yiqing Zhang Eddy Mendoza |
| author_sort | Maíra Ometto Bezerra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sustainable watershed management requires effective stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production. Currently, most methods for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in the field are case-specific, applied in an ad hoc manner, and not tested across various spatial scales or water management contexts. Moreover, these methods are not often evaluated, limiting our ability to learn from and adapt them. We critically assess the Freshwater Health Index (FHI), an indicator-based platform for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production, which has been applied in a variety of social-ecological systems. Using an ex-post analysis, we examined nine FHI case studies against an evaluative framework based on Talley et al.'s. (2016) five pillars for effective stakeholder engagement and Norström et al.'s. (2020) four principles for knowledge co-production, from which we derived six principles (Context-based, Clear objectives/Goal-oriented, Systematic representation/Pluralistic, Use relevant methods, Create opportunities for co-ownership, Interactive/Reflective). We first identified activities in the FHI process that aligned with the six principles, then used narrative descriptions and guiding questions to evaluate individual case studies. Although we demonstrate that the FHI supports stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in a variety of contexts, the FHI process seldom fulfilled all six principles due to differences in watersheds. Key takeaways include the importance of aligning projects with existing water management schemes, and the need to establish a sustainability plan that empowers stakeholders to stay engaged beyond a single project timeline. Our evaluative framework can serve as a checklist in both the design and monitoring of place-based sustainability research projects more generally. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:07:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-326b5cd2e7524017b4e570853a5345e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-0490 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:07:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Research in Environmental Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-326b5cd2e7524017b4e570853a5345e62023-06-21T07:00:02ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Environmental Sustainability2666-04902023-01-015100206Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health IndexMaíra Ometto Bezerra0Derek Vollmer1Nicholas J. Souter2Kashif Shaad3Sarah Hauck4Maria Clara Marques5Silindile Mtshali6Natalia Acero7Yiqing Zhang8Eddy Mendoza9Conservation International, Moore Center for Science, Arlington, VA, USAConservation International, Moore Center for Science, Arlington, VA, USA; Corresponding author at: 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.Conservation International, Adelaide, AustraliaConservation International, Moore Center for Science, Arlington, VA, USAConservation International, Moore Center for Science, Arlington, VA, USAConservation International Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilConservation South Africa, Matatiele, South AfricaConservation International, Bogotá, ColombiaConservation International, SingaporeConservation International, Lima, PeruSustainable watershed management requires effective stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production. Currently, most methods for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in the field are case-specific, applied in an ad hoc manner, and not tested across various spatial scales or water management contexts. Moreover, these methods are not often evaluated, limiting our ability to learn from and adapt them. We critically assess the Freshwater Health Index (FHI), an indicator-based platform for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production, which has been applied in a variety of social-ecological systems. Using an ex-post analysis, we examined nine FHI case studies against an evaluative framework based on Talley et al.'s. (2016) five pillars for effective stakeholder engagement and Norström et al.'s. (2020) four principles for knowledge co-production, from which we derived six principles (Context-based, Clear objectives/Goal-oriented, Systematic representation/Pluralistic, Use relevant methods, Create opportunities for co-ownership, Interactive/Reflective). We first identified activities in the FHI process that aligned with the six principles, then used narrative descriptions and guiding questions to evaluate individual case studies. Although we demonstrate that the FHI supports stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in a variety of contexts, the FHI process seldom fulfilled all six principles due to differences in watersheds. Key takeaways include the importance of aligning projects with existing water management schemes, and the need to establish a sustainability plan that empowers stakeholders to stay engaged beyond a single project timeline. Our evaluative framework can serve as a checklist in both the design and monitoring of place-based sustainability research projects more generally.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049022000846Stakeholder engagementKnowledge co-productionWatershed managementTransdisciplinary researchFreshwater Health Index |
| spellingShingle | Maíra Ometto Bezerra Derek Vollmer Nicholas J. Souter Kashif Shaad Sarah Hauck Maria Clara Marques Silindile Mtshali Natalia Acero Yiqing Zhang Eddy Mendoza Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index Current Research in Environmental Sustainability Stakeholder engagement Knowledge co-production Watershed management Transdisciplinary research Freshwater Health Index |
| title | Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index |
| title_full | Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index |
| title_fullStr | Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index |
| title_short | Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index |
| title_sort | stakeholder engagement and knowledge co production for better watershed management with the freshwater health index |
| topic | Stakeholder engagement Knowledge co-production Watershed management Transdisciplinary research Freshwater Health Index |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049022000846 |
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