20 Does the Use of Local Knowledge in Complex Systems …
477
populations to prepare adaptation strategies for socio-economic change as a result
of the dam is important.
7 Discussion
Results show the factors influencing levels of involvement of local knowledge and
its relation to nexus governance. Issues of scale, system understanding, and barriers
to inclusive nexus governance are identified across the case studies.
The reported lack of organizational, financial, and institutional capacity of
National User Coordinations (NUCs) signals the potential vulnerability of the NUCs
to the interests of other, more powerful, stakeholders. The three case studies confirm
that involving local knowledge has the potential to improve multisectoral nexus
governance and reduce vulnerability. This is shown in the case of the NUC in Guinea,
which established itself as a trusted knowledge broker and led to a potential new location of the Fomi Dam that would significantly reduce forced displacement. Involvement of local knowledge also accommodates sensitivities that may not be accounted
for in scientific analysis: cultural considerations, relationships between and within
groups, social capital, and preferred modes of communication and of social learning.
Involvement of local stakeholders increases ownership of the project, as was the
case, with some significant positive impacts on project implementation, in Kandadji
(capacity building, involving women groups, etc.). Conversely, vulnerability can
increase when local knowledge structures are not involved, as was the case in giving
villagers individual choice on housing compensation.
On the Arnstein Ladder of participation, relevant rungs identified by interviewees
range consistently from 3 (informing) to 4 (consultation) to 5 (placation), representing the second of three levels of the ladder—tokenism. This generally corresponds to a feeling of increased vulnerability, mostly caused by the lack of control
of local stakeholders. This has negative implications for decision-making and trust
among governing authorities.
It could be argued that the increases in vulnerability in the short term are necessary
evils in order to realize the long-term benefits of the completed dam projects. Dams
designed at basin level are intended to result in return at a large scale, something that
is difficult if not impossible for local communities to achieve. But it is also the case
that displacement occurs at a very advanced phase of dam project implementation,
and co-design of resource management could start from a much earlier stage of
planning to include populations in the analyses, such as alternatives to the dam. This
would mean initiating a partnership with local communities early and at different
scales, because resource use and allocation apply at minimum to a national scale,
and often a multinational scale.
Our analysis confirms that formalization helps to mainstream local knowledge
into multisectoral water management processes. Once NUCs are officially established, they participate regularly in statutory meetings and have an official mandate
477
populations to prepare adaptation strategies for socio-economic change as a result
of the dam is important.
7 Discussion
Results show the factors influencing levels of involvement of local knowledge and
its relation to nexus governance. Issues of scale, system understanding, and barriers
to inclusive nexus governance are identified across the case studies.
The reported lack of organizational, financial, and institutional capacity of
National User Coordinations (NUCs) signals the potential vulnerability of the NUCs
to the interests of other, more powerful, stakeholders. The three case studies confirm
that involving local knowledge has the potential to improve multisectoral nexus
governance and reduce vulnerability. This is shown in the case of the NUC in Guinea,
which established itself as a trusted knowledge broker and led to a potential new location of the Fomi Dam that would significantly reduce forced displacement. Involvement of local knowledge also accommodates sensitivities that may not be accounted
for in scientific analysis: cultural considerations, relationships between and within
groups, social capital, and preferred modes of communication and of social learning.
Involvement of local stakeholders increases ownership of the project, as was the
case, with some significant positive impacts on project implementation, in Kandadji
(capacity building, involving women groups, etc.). Conversely, vulnerability can
increase when local knowledge structures are not involved, as was the case in giving
villagers individual choice on housing compensation.
On the Arnstein Ladder of participation, relevant rungs identified by interviewees
range consistently from 3 (informing) to 4 (consultation) to 5 (placation), representing the second of three levels of the ladder—tokenism. This generally corresponds to a feeling of increased vulnerability, mostly caused by the lack of control
of local stakeholders. This has negative implications for decision-making and trust
among governing authorities.
It could be argued that the increases in vulnerability in the short term are necessary
evils in order to realize the long-term benefits of the completed dam projects. Dams
designed at basin level are intended to result in return at a large scale, something that
is difficult if not impossible for local communities to achieve. But it is also the case
that displacement occurs at a very advanced phase of dam project implementation,
and co-design of resource management could start from a much earlier stage of
planning to include populations in the analyses, such as alternatives to the dam. This
would mean initiating a partnership with local communities early and at different
scales, because resource use and allocation apply at minimum to a national scale,
and often a multinational scale.
Our analysis confirms that formalization helps to mainstream local knowledge
into multisectoral water management processes. Once NUCs are officially established, they participate regularly in statutory meetings and have an official mandate