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Relational quality and uncertainty in common pool water management: an exploratory lab experiment
Marcela Brugnach1,2,3, Sander de Waard4, Dimitri Dubois5
1Basque Centre for Climate Change, Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain. marcela.brugnach@bc3research.org.
Scientific Reports
|July 27, 2021
Summary
Sustainable water resource management requires understanding social dynamics. This study shows how relationships among decision-makers influence choices under uncertainty, crucial for effective common pool resource management.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Decision Science
- Game Theory
Background:
- Sustainable water resource management inherently involves navigating uncertainty.
- Effective decision-making requires integrating scientific knowledge with socio-relational processes.
- Understanding the influence of social dynamics on decision-making under uncertainty is critical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the socio-relational environment shapes decision-making under uncertainty in common pool water resource management.
- To develop and apply experimental methods for analyzing the impact of actor relationships on water management decisions.
- To explore the interplay between uncertainty and relationship structures in decision-making processes.
Main Methods:
- Designed an experimental game protocol simulating an irrigation water management scenario.
- Tested conjectures on the combined effects of uncertainty and interpersonal relationships.
- Analyzed the quality, structure, and organization of relationships among simulated water managers.
Main Results:
- Initial tests confirmed that established relationships among players significantly impact coping with uncertainty.
- The socio-relational environment demonstrably influences decision-making choices in water resource management.
- Relationship quality and structure are key factors in managing common pool resources under uncertainty.
Conclusions:
- Social relationships are integral to successful water resource management under uncertainty.
- Experimental game theory provides a valuable framework for studying socio-technical systems.
- Future research should further explore the nuances of relationship dynamics in environmental decision-making.
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