We used multi-agent systems (MAS), following the companion modeling method, to facilitate water management negotiations in Bhutan. We show how this methodology helped resolve a conflict over the sharing of water resources by establishing a concrete agreement and creating an institution for collective watershed management. The conceptual model begins with a role-playing game (RPG). The stakeholders play the game, thus validating the proposed environment, the behavioral rules, and the emergent properties of the game. It is then relatively easy to translate the RPG into computerized MAS that allow different scenarios to be explored. After this first step in the MAS model, stakeholders then create an institution. A second model is developed to facilitate this process. We conclude by discussing the relationship between the models and reality, as well as the use of MAS as a mediation tool and the social process.

No abstract

Although stakeholder participation is expected to promote equitable and sustainable natural resource management, lessons from the past tell us that more careful attention needs to be paid to achieving equitable impacts. Now the question is how to address social inequities and power asymmetries. Some authors emphasize the need for more dialogue, while others prefer a critical perspective, arguing that dialogue might not be sufficient to avert the risk of a process deepening existing social inequities. This article aims to enrich this debate and question the practical implications of the critical perspective through an in-depth analysis of power games in a participatory process. A Companion Modelling (ComMod) process was conducted in an Akha community of Northern Thailand with a critical perspective, i.e. with a concern for the less influent stakeholders. Simulation tools such as role-playing games were used to mediate a crosscultural learning process among researchers, farmers and administrators about a local irrigation water management problem. The detailed analysis of power games in this learning and negotiation process reveals that in spite of initial power asymmetries, the poorest farmers of the community started to voice and assert their interests.

No abstract

No abstract

HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

1998). Traditional upland rice is adapted to soil acidity (Garrity et al., 1990; Wade et al., 1988); moreover, im-Upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) yields on infertile, acid soils in the provement in upland rice adaptation to soil acidity can Asian uplands average only 1 Mg ha Ϫ1 . Phosphorus deficiency is considered a major soil constraint to increased yield, but little quantitative be brought about by breeding (Zeigler et al., 1995; Kirk information is available. We analyzed P responses of traditional rice et al., 1998). Given that upland rice is inherently tolerant on farm in Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines and improved varieties to soil acidity and that improved acid soil adaptation can in researcher-managed trials in the Philippines. Treatments in onbe incorporated into superior germplasm, nutrient defarm trials were a control and 50 kg P ha Ϫ1 Ϯ 100 and 50 kg ha Ϫ1 N ficiency, particularly P, becomes a major soil constraint and K, respectively. Treatments in researcher-managed trials were P to production in upland rice areas (Garrity et al., 1990; rates on an unlimed and limed Ultisol. Mehlich-1 extractable P cor- Kirk et al., 1998). Hedley et al. (1994) found that upland related with on-farm grain yield (r ϭ 0.47). Phosphorus fertilization rice varieties quickly became P deficient in a high P-fixing, increased average grain yield (1 Mg ha Ϫ1 ) by 20%, total biomass acid upland soil in the Philippines. Even in shifting culti-(4 Mg ha Ϫ1 ) by 27%, and P uptake (4.1 kg ha Ϫ1 ) by 53%. Yield vation systems where ash deposits and nutrients from increased 37% with P ϩ N ϩ K, but only 16% of the 2.4 Mg ha Ϫ1 biomass increase was grain. Improved rice in researcher-managed trials mineralized organic matter are considered sufficient for responded to P, with a larger proportion of biomass partitioned to reasonable rice yield in the initial years after clearing grain [i.e., higher harvest index (HI)]. Grain yield of 'UPLRi-5' infallows (Roder et al., 1995a), P deficiency was found to creased from 3.2 to 4.6 Mg ha Ϫ1 in limed soil while that of 'IR55423-01' be a major nutrient limitation to upland rice yield (Van increased from 3.4 to 4.0 Mg ha Ϫ1 in unlimed soil. Phosphorus fertiliza- Reuler and Janssen, 1989). Phosphorus fertilizer applition always increased the frequency of higher yields averaged across cation has been reported to increase upland rice yield in trials, soils, varieties, and growing conditions. Yield gain from onthe Cerrado region of Brazil (Fageria et al., 1982), West farm P fertilization of traditional rice was small because of low HI, Africa (Van Reuler and Janssen, 1996;Sahrawat et al., unlike in improved varieties, which had a HI. We infer that increasing 1995), and Southeast Asia (Schmidt et al., 1990). upland rice yield in Asia would require genotypes with higher HI inThe poor infrastructure and lack of markets in the addition to P fertilization. fragile environments of Asia often do not offer much economic incentive for farmers to use purchased fertilizers. When inputs are purchased, they...

No abstract