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20. SCALES

Full Title:

Sustaining Inclusive Collective Action That Links across Economic and Ecological Scales in Upper Watersheds (SCALES)

Download project proposal [PDF 140Kb]

There is ample evidence of the benefits that cooperation can generate for improved natural- resources management. Increasingly, new research emerges about factors that enable collective action to be successful, though many replication challenges exist in practice. Cooperation can be particularly important in a watershed context where the actions of individuals often have widespread spillover effects.  However, little is understood about the dynamic interactions that take place across different watershed scales, not only biophysically, but even more so socially and politically. 

Through research undertaken in 5 catchments in the Nile river and the Virtual Andes basins, this project proposes to seek a deeper understanding of the extent to which collective action in watershed contexts as well as other livelihood strategies have the potential to enable the poor to escape from the so-called poverty traps—cycles of underinvestment, low productivity and resource degradation that contribute to chronic deprivation.  Factors that facilitate multi-stakeholder collective action across different scales in the face of high levels of environmental externalities will also be explored using innovative methods such as experimental games in the field.  The experimental designs will mimic conditions commonly encountered in watersheds, including upstream and downstream interactions.

Stakeholder participation is a fundamental approach of the project and critical to ensure that the research has real impact on development.  Based on their participation in the economic games and lessons learned from the process and results, stakeholders will develop action plans in collaboration with local development organizations.  A common result from other field-based experimental games is a realization of the benefits of collective action for resources management and a strong interest in pursuing more cooperative strategies, so that we would expect action plans to embody these. 

The project is furthermore committed to end-user involvement in the evaluation of the project outcomes as well as their own conditions and development. Fueling a process of participatory monitoring and evaluation (a form of collective action itself) will be a major part of action-plan development and include the formulation of key biophysical and social indicators of particular relevance to local stakeholders.  Hence, the major barometer that the project will use to judge its impact will rest in the hands of its primary beneficiaries. Participatory action planning and evaluation will also enable the project’s impacts to endure over time through instilling a continuous learning and adaptation process. 

Policymakers, including decision makers at all levels and scales, are a key audience for which the project aims to target its research results.  Two regional policy workshops that promote dialogue between researchers and policymakers will be an important dissemination and learning vehicle employed by the project.  Likewise, involving and supporting university students in the research will contribute to expanding the cadre of research for development practitioners who are committed to an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to watershed research and management.  Collaboration with other Water for Food Challenge Program projects is expected to generate a high level of cross learning and also contribute to the scaling up of project results and lessons.