Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In the MUS project (PN28), the boundary objects were case studies, the
impact pathway approach and the learning alliance. The extent to which these
objects contributed to the policy influence, however, is not clear. They took
place in all project countries while outcomes occurred in only a few, with a
major influence on policy only in South Africa.
Projects that seek to support negotiation
Research that seeks to support negotiation must be seen as credible, salient and
legitimate by potential users. We identified three Phase 1 CPWF projects that
appeared to embrace the negotiation-support approach:
•
Enhancing multi-scale Mekong water governance (PN50);
•
Companion modeling and water dynamics (PN25); and
•
Sustaining collective action that links across economic and ecological scales
(SCALES) in Colombia (PN20).
Negotiation-support activities of PN50
The Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience (M-POWER)
was established in 2004. It was a knowledge network undertaking action-based
research, facilitated dialogues and knowledge networking to improve water
governance in the Mekong region. At least two CPWF projects, PN50,
Enhancing Multi-Scale Mekong Water Governance and PN67 Improving
Water Allocation were established as keystone projects of M-POWER. The
companion modeling project (PN25 described below) was also implemented
in the Mekong region.
The goal of PN50 was to improve livelihood security, human health and
ecosystem health in the Mekong region through democratizing water
governance. Through PN50, the M-POWER consortium implemented an
ambitious program of research and direct engagement with stakeholders in the
Mekong region. M-POWER defined the Mekong region by the drainage areas
of the Southeast Asian rivers: Irrawaddy (most of Burma/Myanmar), Salween
(parts of China, Myanmar/Burma, Thailand), Chao Phraya (most of Thailand),
Mekong (parts of China, Myanmar/Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and
Vietnam) and Red (parts of China and Vietnam).
For M-POWER, water governance refers to the “ways in which society
shares power with respect to decisions about how water resources are to be
developed and used.” Democratization of water governance “encompasses
public participation and deliberation, separation of powers, accountability of
public institutions, social and gender justice, protection of rights, representation,
decentralizations, and the dissemination of information” (Lebel et al., 2010,
p. 17). Little of the research conducted under PN50 focused on water as such;
instead most research focused on the structure and function of institutions and
power relations. The project engaged with a wide range of actors involved with
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