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Changing Flows: Sociotechnical Tinkering for Adaptive Water Management
Barbara Quimby1,2, Claire M Nichols3,4, Margaret V du Bray5
1Department of Natural Science, Hawai'i Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, USA. bquimby@hpu.edu.
Environmental Management
|November 12, 2022
Summary
Arizona farmers adapt to drought by "tinkering" with historic irrigation ditches. This sociotechnical approach reveals crucial adaptive capacity in water management systems facing environmental change.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Sociology
- Water Resource Management
Background:
- Western US drought intensifies pressure on water management systems.
- Agricultural production reliant on surface water is imperiled, necessitating innovation.
- Historic, low-tech irrigation infrastructure, like hand-dug ditches, remains vital in Arizona.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the adaptive management of irrigation ditches in Arizona's Verde Valley.
- To apply the concept of sociotechnical tinkering to understand water infrastructure adaptation.
- To highlight the role of local social relationships and physical infrastructure in adaptive capacity.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative case study of irrigation ditches in the Verde Valley, Arizona.
- Application of the sociotechnical tinkering framework.
- Analysis of water user interactions with delivery and monitoring infrastructure.
Main Results:
- Water users frequently "tinker" with irrigation infrastructure to adapt to changing water availability.
- These adaptations are informed by local social dynamics and physical infrastructure realities.
- Sociotechnical tinkering demonstrates situated practice and actor agency within the water management system.
Conclusions:
- Sociotechnical tinkering is a critical, yet often unrecognized, component of adaptive environmental management.
- Understanding these user-driven adaptations is key to enhancing water system resilience.
- This research contributes to the literature on adaptive management and the hydrosocial cycle.
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