Network approaches for understanding rainwater management from a social-ecological systems perspective

The premise of this research is to better understand how approaches to implementing rainwater management practices can be informed by understanding how the people living and working in agroecosystems are connected to one another. Because these connections are via both social interactions and functio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and society 2015-12, Vol.20 (4), p.1
Main Authors: Prager, Steven D, Pfeifer, Catherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural ecosystems
Case studies
Decision making
Ecology
Intervention
Landscape
Management
Networks
Rain
Rain water
Social factors
Social interactions
Social networks
Social organization
Water resources management
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Summary:The premise of this research is to better understand how approaches to implementing rainwater management practices can be informed by understanding how the people living and working in agroecosystems are connected to one another. Because these connections are via both social interactions and functional characteristics of the landscape, a social-ecological network emerges. Using social-ecological network theory, we ask how understanding the structure of interactions can lead to improved rainwater management interventions. Using a case study situated within a small sub-basin in the Fogera area of the Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia, we build networks of smallholders based both on the biophysical and social-institutional landscapes present in the study site, with the smallholders themselves as the common element between the networks. In turn we explore how structures present in the networks may serve to guide decision making regarding both where and with whom rainwater management interventions could be developed. This research thus illustrates an approach for constructing a social-ecological network and demonstrates how the structures of the network yield insights for tailoring the implementation of rainwater management practices to the social and ecological setting.
ISSN:1708-3087