Generating knowledge from water management situations: a pragmatist approach to socio-hydrology

We consider socio-hydrological systems (SHS) as complex sets of interacting and organized social and biophysical constituents, embedded in locally grounded pathways. As interdependencies among constituents increase and global changes challenge the modus vivendi within SHS, there is an urgent need to understand their evolutions more comprehensively, and support their transition towards sustainable pathways. We build here on a pragmatist [1] approach of socio-hydrology to handle these needs. This approach is best developed when addressing environmental management situations as it relies on the active involvement of academics with multiple stakeholders communities within SHS. With dedicated socio-technical boundary objects (e.g. simulation models, serious games, photographs, narratives…), we provide the conditions for an in depth dialogue on the processes at stake within the SHS. The main purpose is to enhance contextual information to uncover chains of consequences following changes in water or land uses. This approach starts with the collaborative identification of key dynamics of the investigated SHS and thorough shared explanation of the multiple perspectives to identify interactions among constituents of the SHS. As an engaged way of doing research, pragmatism requires to adjunct reflexivity on the collaborative research process to govern evolutions of interactions, and formalize learning for researchers and communities alike stemming out of their collaborative investigation.
The communication builds on few examples across the world related (i) to the use of serious games to understand and foster possibilities of collective action to decrease non-point source agricultural pollution, (ii) the historical and socio-technical analysis of existing infrastructures to support the design of water regulations, and (iii) the consequences of modernization of irrigation networks on water resource at SHS level. Collaborative elaboration of representations leads to uncover and connect processes discussed in separated arenas, such as the benefits of development of soil protection infrastructures in vineyard to decrease the use of pesticides. These experiments indicate that a clear mandate from an operational actor considered legitimate by most (if not all) stakeholders helps to achieve transformative outcomes, while a mandate rooted in academic concerns provides key insights on potential constraints for changes.
[1] Dewey, J. (1916) Education and Democracy. The Free Press