Interdisciplinary and participatory approaches: the key to effective groundwater management

• DOI: 10.1007/s10040-017-1616-y
• Publication Date: 2017-06-28T07:30:06Z
• Authors: Roland Barthel; Stephen Foster; Karen G. Villholth
• Keywords: Stakeholder Engagement; Discipline; Groundwater resources; Conceptual framework

The challenges of a changing world, which are progressively threatening sustainable use of groundwater resources, can only be rationally and effectively addressed through close collaboration between experts and practitioners from different disciplines. Furthermore, science and management need to build on stakeholder opinions and processes in order to generate useful knowledge and positive outcomes in terms of sustainable and equitable groundwater management. This essay provides a discussion of the status of and vision for participatory and inter-disciplinary approaches to groundwater evaluation and management as well as a conceptual framework and relevant research questions that will facilitate such approaches.