Current Research in Environmental Sustainability (Jan 2023)
Stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production for better watershed management with the Freshwater Health Index
Abstract
Sustainable watershed management requires effective stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production. Currently, most methods for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in the field are case-specific, applied in an ad hoc manner, and not tested across various spatial scales or water management contexts. Moreover, these methods are not often evaluated, limiting our ability to learn from and adapt them. We critically assess the Freshwater Health Index (FHI), an indicator-based platform for stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production, which has been applied in a variety of social-ecological systems. Using an ex-post analysis, we examined nine FHI case studies against an evaluative framework based on Talley et al.'s. (2016) five pillars for effective stakeholder engagement and Norström et al.'s. (2020) four principles for knowledge co-production, from which we derived six principles (Context-based, Clear objectives/Goal-oriented, Systematic representation/Pluralistic, Use relevant methods, Create opportunities for co-ownership, Interactive/Reflective). We first identified activities in the FHI process that aligned with the six principles, then used narrative descriptions and guiding questions to evaluate individual case studies. Although we demonstrate that the FHI supports stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production in a variety of contexts, the FHI process seldom fulfilled all six principles due to differences in watersheds. Key takeaways include the importance of aligning projects with existing water management schemes, and the need to establish a sustainability plan that empowers stakeholders to stay engaged beyond a single project timeline. Our evaluative framework can serve as a checklist in both the design and monitoring of place-based sustainability research projects more generally.
