113
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. Lucatello et al. (eds.), Stewardship of Future Drylands and Climate
Change in the Global South, Springer Climate,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22464-6_7
Chapter 7
Public Participation Approaches for a New
Era in Dryland Science and Stewardship
in the Global South
D. L. Coppock
Abstract The drylands of the Global South are facing challenges from human
population growth, unsustainable land-management practices, and climate change.
Such problems are complex and can no longer be adequately addressed using traditional, top-down means. Rather, increased reliance on public participation is needed
to better identify key research questions and interventions that promote positive
change. Major actors in these approaches would include communities, applied
researchers, outreach agents, policy makers, and planners working in tandem. The
process involves embracing “engaged research” within a framework of an “innovation system”—referred to here by the acronym ERIS. Such concepts have recently
gained acceptance, and now is the time to implement them. Project donors are key
to this transformation of applied research and professional practice because they
can provide incentives. ERIS projects must be long term with a diversity of pragmatic and transdisciplinary scholarly achievements. An ERIS platform for interproject coordination could be part of a comprehensive Agadir platform. The main
option to institutionalize ERIS approaches is via policies that alter how government
agencies and their stakeholders work together.
Keywords Action research · Engaged research · Extension · Community-based
research · Innovation systems · Outreach · Participatory rural appraisal ·
Participatory policy making · Participatory planning
Introduction
The objective of this chapter is to provide a concise overview of participatory
perspectives as they pertain to the science, management, policy making, or planning
for improved stewardship of dryland socio-ecological systems (SESs) in the Global
D. L. Coppock (*)
Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
e-mail: layne.coppock@usu.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. Lucatello et al. (eds.), Stewardship of Future Drylands and Climate
Change in the Global South, Springer Climate,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22464-6_7
Chapter 7
Public Participation Approaches for a New
Era in Dryland Science and Stewardship
in the Global South
D. L. Coppock
Abstract The drylands of the Global South are facing challenges from human
population growth, unsustainable land-management practices, and climate change.
Such problems are complex and can no longer be adequately addressed using traditional, top-down means. Rather, increased reliance on public participation is needed
to better identify key research questions and interventions that promote positive
change. Major actors in these approaches would include communities, applied
researchers, outreach agents, policy makers, and planners working in tandem. The
process involves embracing “engaged research” within a framework of an “innovation system”—referred to here by the acronym ERIS. Such concepts have recently
gained acceptance, and now is the time to implement them. Project donors are key
to this transformation of applied research and professional practice because they
can provide incentives. ERIS projects must be long term with a diversity of pragmatic and transdisciplinary scholarly achievements. An ERIS platform for interproject coordination could be part of a comprehensive Agadir platform. The main
option to institutionalize ERIS approaches is via policies that alter how government
agencies and their stakeholders work together.
Keywords Action research · Engaged research · Extension · Community-based
research · Innovation systems · Outreach · Participatory rural appraisal ·
Participatory policy making · Participatory planning
Introduction
The objective of this chapter is to provide a concise overview of participatory
perspectives as they pertain to the science, management, policy making, or planning
for improved stewardship of dryland socio-ecological systems (SESs) in the Global
D. L. Coppock (*)
Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
e-mail: layne.coppock@usu.edu