The Impact of Scientific Knowledge on Water Management: A Comparative Perspective

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This project investigates the use of technical information in water management in Brazil: To illuminate the opportunities and constraints for the use of technical information in policymaking, especially water management, and To investigate how the use of such knowledge affects decision making in the context of the recently implemented water management reform in Brazil. This example of science/society interaction illustrates how institutional settings where technical knowledge is applied play a role in the effectiveness of this information as a policy tool, and how institutions respond and adapt to new policy tools. In 1997 Brazil enacted new national water law that introduced an integrated, decentralized, participatory, and environmentally sustainable water management system. This resulted in several instances of public participation in water resources management at the watershed level, such as users' commissions, watershed committees, and water policy councils that are open to the public. Within such organizations, technical information can play many policy-related roles, including providing support information for different kinds of decision-making, planning, and enforcement. However, such information can critically affect decision-making in different, sometimes unwarranted, ways. A key argument this study seeks to advance is that the use of technical information is context-dependent. The distribution of costs and benefits of information use in policymaking depends on the social, political, and cultural context in which information producers and users work. Better information may lead to better decisions, and better-informed decision-making might encourage stakeholders' perception of effectiveness, which in turn, might encourage stakeholder participation. Or, the use of technical information can alienate participation by insulating decision-making from the public. Because technical information requires technical expertise for its use, it can shield policymakers from political meddling and efforts from outsiders to influence policy implementation and outcome. In this case, technocrats' use technical information can make decisionmaking unaccountable and less democratic. This study involves detailed case studies in three watersheds using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. In-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus groups will be carried out with policymakers, information producers, and stakeholders. Participatory observation of public meetings and policymaking at the state level are used. The findings can inform policymakers and stakeholders of the possibilities and constraints for application of science-based information in policymaking, as well as to provide data producers with information on data needs from users. By examining political and cultural aspects of the application technical knowledge in distinct policy environments, this study contributes to analytical frameworks within the policy sciences, such as social constructivism, policy analysis, and the sociology of science. Results will include scholarly and policy-oriented presentations and publications in English and Portuguese. 0135497 .