TY - JOUR
T1 - Who Are we Measuring and Modeling for? Supporting Multilevel Decision-Making in Watershed Management
AU - Bremer, Leah L.
AU - Hamel, Perrine
AU - Ponette-González, Alexandra G.
AU - Pompeu, Patricia V.
AU - Saad, Sandra I.
AU - Brauman, Kate A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©2020. The Authors.
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - As watershed management programs have become more common globally, so have efforts to support these initiatives through hydrologic modeling and monitoring. However, these efforts are often guided by oversimplified assumptions of how management programs work and the quantity, quality, and type of information needed to support their planning, implementation, and evaluation. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with project managers, funders, and participants in three watershed management programs in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil revealed a range of hydrologic modeling and monitoring needs of watershed management programs. We identify five opportunities for hydrologic information to support overlapping management contexts: (1) inspire action and support, (2) inform investment decisions, (3) engage with potential participants, (4) prioritize location and types of activities at regional to national scales, and (5) evaluate program success. Within these opportunities, understanding who will use the information generated and how they will do so is critical to increasing the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of modeling efforts. Hydrologic modeling and monitoring play a small but critical role in the larger context of program conceptualization, design, implementation, and evaluation; grounding these efforts in local contexts supports watershed management projects in relevant and effective ways.
AB - As watershed management programs have become more common globally, so have efforts to support these initiatives through hydrologic modeling and monitoring. However, these efforts are often guided by oversimplified assumptions of how management programs work and the quantity, quality, and type of information needed to support their planning, implementation, and evaluation. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with project managers, funders, and participants in three watershed management programs in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil revealed a range of hydrologic modeling and monitoring needs of watershed management programs. We identify five opportunities for hydrologic information to support overlapping management contexts: (1) inspire action and support, (2) inform investment decisions, (3) engage with potential participants, (4) prioritize location and types of activities at regional to national scales, and (5) evaluate program success. Within these opportunities, understanding who will use the information generated and how they will do so is critical to increasing the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of modeling efforts. Hydrologic modeling and monitoring play a small but critical role in the larger context of program conceptualization, design, implementation, and evaluation; grounding these efforts in local contexts supports watershed management projects in relevant and effective ways.
KW - ecosystem services
KW - hydrologic services
KW - modeling
KW - payments for ecosystem services
KW - stakeholder engagement
KW - Watershed management
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U2 - 10.1029/2019WR026011
DO - 10.1029/2019WR026011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85078422725
SN - 0043-1397
VL - 56
JO - Water Resources Research
JF - Water Resources Research
IS - 1
M1 - e2019WR026011
ER -