Participatory and collaborative modelling key to sustainable and inclusive development: strengthening stakeholder ownership for informed and participatory water resources management

Safe access to water is essential for sustainable development. Building resilience towards disaster risks and ensuring water availability by balancing the many competing uses and users of water, while maintaining healthy and diverse ecosystems, are critical elements to ultimately deliver water security. In this Ph.D. thesis, participatory and collaborative modelling is presented as a means towards sustainable development,as it supports informed decision-making and inclusive development. How to develop and use computer-based simulation models is analysed following a participatory or collaborative modelling approach for managing water resources, so their use can be enhanced, and the ownership of the development strengthened. Four methods are presented to engage stakeholders in the development and use of computer-based simulation models. These approaches are tested in nine study cases, from which this thesis focuses on five of them. The covered themes and countries include river basin planning in Indonesia, water quality management in Turkey and Indonesia, adaptive planning in Bangladesh, and flood risk management in Tanzania. Results of the research show that the use of participatory and collaborative modelling makes the modelling process more efficient. Together, modellers and stakeholders share learning, build consensus, have a sense of ownership of the models, tools and solutions developed and trust in the decision-making process.