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1 August 2013 Meeting the Challenges of Transdisciplinary Knowledge Production for Sustainable Water Governance
Renate Renner, Flurina Schneider, Daniela Hohenwallner, Christian Kopeinig, Sylvia Kruse, Judit Lienert, Steffen Link, Susanne Muhar
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Increasing pressure on mountain water resources is making it necessary to address water governance issues in a transdisciplinary way. This entails drawing on different disciplinary perspectives, different types of knowledge, and different interests to answer complex governance questions. This study identifies strategies for addressing specific challenges to transdisciplinary knowledge production aiming at sustainable and reflective water governance. The study draws on the experiences of 5 large transdisciplinary water governance research projects conducted in Austria and Switzerland (Alp-Water-Scarce, MontanAqua, Drought-CH, Sustainable Water Infrastructure Planning, and an integrative river management project in the Kamp Valley). Experiences were discussed and systematically analyzed in a workshop and subsequent interviews. These discussions identified 4 important challenges to interactions between scientists and stakeholders—ensuring stakeholder legitimacy, encouraging participation, managing expectations, and preventing misuse of data and research results—and explored strategies used by the projects to meet them. Strategies ranged from key points to be considered in stakeholder selection to measures that enhance trustful relationships and create commitment.

International Mountain Society
Renate Renner, Flurina Schneider, Daniela Hohenwallner, Christian Kopeinig, Sylvia Kruse, Judit Lienert, Steffen Link, and Susanne Muhar "Meeting the Challenges of Transdisciplinary Knowledge Production for Sustainable Water Governance," Mountain Research and Development 33(3), 234-247, (1 August 2013). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00002.1
Received: 1 March 2013; Accepted: 1 May 2013; Published: 1 August 2013
KEYWORDS
Austria
science–practice interface
stakeholder integration
Switzerland
transdisciplinary knowledge production
water governance
water resource management
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