Participatory Modeling for Sustainability

Sustainability is a wicked problem, which is hard to define in a unique way. It cannot be solved and should be treated in a participatory approach involving as many stakeholders in the process as possible. Participatory modeling is an efficient method for dealing with wicked problems. It involves stakeholders in an open-ended process of shared learning and can be essential for developing sustainable technologies. While there may be various levels of participation, the process evolves around a model of the system at stake. The model is built in interaction with the stakeholders; it provides formalism to synchronize stakeholder thinking and knowledge about the system and to move toward consensus about the possible decision making.