Guidelines for Scenathons. A framework for co-creating Transformational Adaptation Policies.

The use of information and models is key to making decisions related to water management, considering the interaction between the natural supply and the economic and socio-cultural systems. However this data-based decision-making is generally complex due to the uncertainties associated with these models, the various individual interests that stakeholders have regarding the water that prevail over the collective interest, and the institutional framework that frames the decisions. In a system limited by the quantity and quality of water available, and where users want to respond to their growing water needs, it requires tools that allow objective decisions to be made based on the common benefit of concurrent users. In this context, a methodological guide has been developed for the development of water resource planning processes based on data and models, which integrates the robust decision support framework (Purkey, David et al., 2018) with the development of serious games or scenathons, called guidelines for scenathons.

Robust Decision Support is a framework that guides water resource planning processes through a series of steps starting from defining decision space, mapping key actors, problem formulation, tool construction, scenario definition, system vulnerability, options analysis, results exploration, and decision-making. The process includes three workshops for problem definition and vulnerability These participatory processes have shown the usefulness of having systematized information and models that make it possible, on the one hand, to understand the vulnerabilities of the system in its current condition, and to simulate scenarios of analysis of the impacts that may be generated by climate change, population growth and economic activities.

In these processes, it has been understood that it is not only important to have models that accurately and precisely describe reality, but it is also fundamental how the model is built, using information and models that have credibility in the region and validating the results with the actors knowledgeable about their environment.

However, interaction with stakeholders directly using the models is not easy due to multiple user profiles and knowledge. To this end, methodologies have been developed that allow interaction with complex data through visualization platforms for model results and various simulated scenarios. This interaction has been complemented with the use of serious games to generate an exchange with users using a narrative that allows transcending from existing roles and conflicts to a more purposeful dialogue. Examples of the serious games and visualization tools will be provided in the presentation https://latinoamericasei.shinyapps.io/Juego_Serio_POMCA_Campoalegre/

In this context, in the framework of the TRANSCEND project (Transformational and Robust AdaptatioN to water Scarcity and ClimatE chaNge under Deep uncertainty) we proposed a guideline for scenathons, which integrates the process of participation in the four years of the project and the development of each Scenathon for the co-creation of TAPs. The guidelines for scenathons is the roadmap to guide the process of co-creation of TAPs using models in 7 living labs and considering the associated uncertainty that may affect decision-making. We are currently developing the first year of the project where the main problems have been identified.