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As a way to enhance your systems thinking, as well as learn about the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management and how we might best resolve water related problems, let’s see if we can apply the Evaluation Strategy to Determine Water Resource Sustainability outlined in the paper by R. Warren Flint (2004) to a case study. This activity will have you go through multiple steps of Flint’s evaluation strategy in order to generate a proposal to assess efforts to mitigate the major water resource problems identified (or implicit) in a provided case study.

This activity handout includes instructions for your group that will lead you through the process of developing your proposal. At the end of the activity, your group will be expected to share the elements of your proposal with the rest of the class. In addition, you will submit the elements of your proposal for a group grade of up to 20 points.

The Case Study Information

First – review with your group the major problems you identified in your water management case study. Then progress through the activity detailed in the next section. (5min)

Applying Flint’s Evaluation Strategy to Generate a Water Resource Sustainability Proposal

For this activity, you will work through a series of steps to generate an outline of proposed strategies that – if enacted – would help to evaluate water resource sustainability in the region of your case study. The steps basically lead you through the following conceptual flow diagram.

Figure 1. Systemic framework for evaluating water resources through the development of criteria and indicators. (A) illustrates the systems approach. (B) shows the development of a conceptual view of sustainable water resources. (C) defines water resources “capital” and assesses directionality of issues. (D) elaborates the sustainability goals of stakeholders. (E) develops criteria to judge water resource sustainability. (F) identifies indicators to measure sustainability. (G) demonstrates the research support required by this evaluation strategy. From Flint (2004)

Here are the steps to follow for this activity:

Step 1 – Agree as a group to identify policies and/or actions to address the problems inherent in the case study that should result in more “integrated and sustainable water management.” Discuss what that phrase in quotes means to you and nominate a scribe for your group. (5 min)

Step 2 – What are the major water-related problems/challenges in the case study? To better understand these, identify some of the social, natural, and economic “Drivers and Stressors” at work in the region. In other words, what are the underlying causes for the problems and what exacerbates them? List some drivers and stressors on the page 3 of this handout. (5 min)

Step 3 – Identify the forms of natural, social, and economic Capital of concern in the case study. In other words, what is it that you think the people in the case study region want to preserve? On the answer sheet, list the top forms of capital you think require attention in order to be sustained in your case study. (5 min)

Step 4 – Identify the primary Stakeholders in your case study. On the answer sheet, list four different groups who have a stake in the conditions of the region in your case study. (5 min)

Step 5 – Identify Core Values that distinguish the different stakeholder groups. On the answer sheet, list the core values under each stakeholder group. (5 min)

Step 6 – Identify at least 2 achievable Goals for water resource sustainability in your case study region. On the answer sheet, list these goals. (5 min)

Step 7 – Define at least 4 Criteria that that could be assessed to establish that the conditions to achieve your goals are being fostered. On the answer sheet, list 2 of these criteria under each goal. (5 min)

Step 8 – Define at least 1 Indicator per criteria to measure sustainability progress. On the answer sheet, list these indicators under each criteria. (5 min)

Step 9 – Set Targets for each indicator that will let you distinguish between sustainable and unsustainable practices. On the answer sheet, list these targets under each indicator. (5 min)

Step 10 – Identify Research you think should be done to inform this plan. What do you think is uncertain that requires research before implementation of your plan? On the answer sheet, outline some research you think should be done. (5 min)

Step 11 – Represent the results of your process on the large paper provided. Identify the primary problems your group chose to address then outline your proposal for a strategy to alleviate or study these water problems. Choose a member of your group to communicate your proposal to the rest of the class. (10 min)

Modeling the Principles of Integrated Water Resource Management and Flint’s Evaluation Strategy to Determine Water Resource Sustainability – Answer Sheet

20 pts Student Names ___________________________________________________

Step 2 – Identify some of the social, natural, and economic “Drivers and Stressors” in this case study. Drivers: ________________________________________________________________

Stressors: ____________________________________________________________________

Step 3 – What forms of capital do you think require attention in order to be sustained in your case study? __________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Step 4 – Identify 4 of the primary stakeholders in your case study.

a)_______________ b)________________ c) _______________ d)_______________

Values: _______________ ________________ _______________ _______________

_______________ ________________ _______________ _______________

Values: _______________ ________________ _______________ _______________

_______________ ________________ _______________ _______________

Values: _______________ ________________ _______________ _______________

_______________ ________________ _______________ _______________

Step 5 – List some of the core values above that motivate under each stakeholder group.

Step 6 – Identify 2 achievable goals for water resource sustainability in the case study region.

Goal 1: ______________________________________________________________________

Criteria 1a:_____________________________ Criteria 1b: ___________________________

Indicator 1a: ___________________________ Indicator 1b: ___________________________

Target 1a: _____________________________ Target 1b: _____________________________

Goal 2: ______________________________________________________________________

Criteria 2a: ____________________________ Criteria 2a: ____________________________

Indicator 2a: ___________________________ Indicator 2b: ___________________________

Target 2a: _____________________________ Target 2b: _____________________________

Step 7 – List 4 criteria above that could be assessed to establish that the conditions to achieve your goals are being fostered. Have 2 for each goal.

Step 8 – List at least 1 indicator per criteria to measure sustainability progress.

Step 9 – List at least 1 target per indicator that will let you distinguish between sustainable and unsustainable practices.

Step 10 – Identify research you think should be done to inform this plan. _________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Example of Goals, Criteria and Indicators

Criteria 4:

Criteria 3:

Criteria 2:

Criteria 1:

Goal:

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