Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance

Citizen participation in water governance can improve the relevance, implementation, and effectiveness of public policies. However, participation can be expressed in a great diversity of forms, on a gradient ranging from mere public consultation to shared governance of natural resources. Positive ou...

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Main Author: Isidro Maya Jariego
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2024-03-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02958-x
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author Isidro Maya Jariego
author_facet Isidro Maya Jariego
author_sort Isidro Maya Jariego
collection DOAJ
description Citizen participation in water governance can improve the relevance, implementation, and effectiveness of public policies. However, participation can be expressed in a great diversity of forms, on a gradient ranging from mere public consultation to shared governance of natural resources. Positive outcomes ultimately depend on the conditions under which participation takes place, with key factors such as leadership, the degree of trust among stakeholders, and the interaction of public authorities with citizens. Social network analysis has been used to operationalize participatory processes, contributing to the identification of leaders, intersectoral integration, strategic planning, and conflict resolution. In this commentary, we analyze the potential and limitations of participation in water governance and illustrate it with the case of the Campina de Faro aquifer in southern Portugal. We propose that stakeholder network analysis is particularly useful for promoting decentralized decision-making and consensual water resources management. The delegation of power to different interest groups is a key process in the effectiveness of governance, which can be operationalized with network analysis techniques.
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spelling doaj.art-9ea209776ba54b419afe54af81ad51272024-03-31T11:13:08ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922024-03-011111610.1057/s41599-024-02958-xUsing stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governanceIsidro Maya Jariego0Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de SevillaCitizen participation in water governance can improve the relevance, implementation, and effectiveness of public policies. However, participation can be expressed in a great diversity of forms, on a gradient ranging from mere public consultation to shared governance of natural resources. Positive outcomes ultimately depend on the conditions under which participation takes place, with key factors such as leadership, the degree of trust among stakeholders, and the interaction of public authorities with citizens. Social network analysis has been used to operationalize participatory processes, contributing to the identification of leaders, intersectoral integration, strategic planning, and conflict resolution. In this commentary, we analyze the potential and limitations of participation in water governance and illustrate it with the case of the Campina de Faro aquifer in southern Portugal. We propose that stakeholder network analysis is particularly useful for promoting decentralized decision-making and consensual water resources management. The delegation of power to different interest groups is a key process in the effectiveness of governance, which can be operationalized with network analysis techniques.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02958-x
spellingShingle Isidro Maya Jariego
Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
title_full Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
title_fullStr Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
title_full_unstemmed Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
title_short Using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
title_sort using stakeholder network analysis to enhance the impact of participation in water governance
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02958-x
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