The INECO experience - Main outcomes and lessons learned from participatory Case Study processes

Multi-stakeholder participatory processes are increasingly viewed as the only means of developing policies and strategies for alleviating real (or perceived) water-related conflicts at local, national and international level. They are considered as problem-solving, institutional innovations to democratise water management, manage conflict and enhance effectiveness of water management operations. Methods and tools employed to foster stakeholder engagement vary greatly, depending on issues at hand, opportunities for dialogue and information sharing, as well as the overall socio-economic and political context.
This paper outlines the approach followed in the EC-funded INECO Project (Institutional and Economic Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in the Mediterranean Region, Contract No: INCO-CT2006-517673) for fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholder groups and facilitating joint agreement on policy recommendations for mitigating water stress issues in seven Case Studies in the Mediterranean region. The scope of these Case Studies was defined through situation analysis, aimed at depicting significant water management issues faced by the local societies. Subsequently, through different methods (e.g. stakeholder workshops, surveys and questionnaires, individual consultation meetings with key actors), stakeholders jointly collaborated to identify ways through which these issues could be addressed in a desired water resources management situation. In this regard, the recommendations derived for problem mitigation incorporated the very different perspectives of stakeholders and facilitated the comprehensive analysis of the wider economic, societal, institutional and sustainability implications of proposed water management options.