Identifying the Potential of Participatory Modelling and Mobile Data Collection to Enhance Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management

The global problem of increasing freshwater scarcity has led to the promotion and adoption of the concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) as a way of achieving sustainable development and management of available freshwater resources. However, despite its popularity and the widespread support it has enjoyed among its proponents over the years, IWRM has registered dismal performance on the implementation front. Whereas participatory involvement in the management of water resources is a key requirement in IWRM, its realisation in practice remains a major challenge. This study investigated means through which participatory involvement in water resources management could be improved with the aim of enhancing implementation of IWRM. To that end a participatory modelling exercise was designed and implemented with a select group of participants and the process evaluated; a web-based mobile data collection system was developed, tested and evaluated; and an enabling framework for water resources management was assessed.
Key findings from the study suggest that participatory modelling can enhance implementation of IWRM by supporting participatory involvement in the management of water resources. However this is not possible with a web-based mobile data collection system, particularly in a developing country context. The findings also suggest that an enabling environment for water resources management is not sufficient to enhance implementation of IWRM but may need to be accompanied by additional supporting measures.
As the responsibilities of managing water resources are increasingly being decentralised with more emphasis being placed on stakeholder participation, participatory modelling offers methodological guidance on how to constructively involve stakeholders in water resources management.