Unlocking resilient benefits from African water resources

可持续的水资源开发仍然难以实现，因为发展在很大程度上使环境和弱势群体付出了外部化的代价。为了实现联合国可持续发展目标和实现2025年非洲水愿景，需要新的研究理论、方法和实践。我们建议推出一种创新的研究方法：适应性系统方法（ASA）。我们的目标是应用变革性的、跨学科的、社区参与的研究，将水发展成果转化为实现可持续发展目标。我们专注于大陆水资源开发的优先事项：供水和污染。此次合作汇集了ARUA卓越水中心（CoE）和英国合作伙伴谢菲尔德大学（UoS）。8个CoE节点是：i)埃塞俄比亚的亚的斯亚贝巴U；卢旺达，卢旺达；U chekh Anta Diop，塞内加尔；坦桑尼亚达累斯萨拉姆、乌干达马凯雷雷（发展援助委员会最不发达国家）；尼日利亚拉各斯（发展援助委员会中低收入）；开普敦U，罗德U (CoE Hub)，南非（DAC中高收入）。我们提出了一个基于国家的案例研究结构，以支持当地的研究发展和对当地产生影响的途径（图1支持案例）。我们使用以可持续发展目标6（水和卫生）为中心的模型，将与景观水资源相关的可持续发展目标与与供水服务相关的可持续发展目标联系起来。（这一模式支撑了UKRI:GCRF能力赠款：“水促进非洲可持续发展目标”的成功）。我们提出了三个研究问题（RQ）相关的水开发优先事项。三个基于集水区的案例研究解决了RQ1：水是如何使用的，对谁有利？（Rufigi R坦桑尼亚，塞内加尔R塞内加尔，青尼罗河R埃塞俄比亚）。两个案例研究聚焦于城市水污染（乌干达坎帕拉市和尼日利亚拉各斯市），解决RQ2：城市水系统污染的来源、途径和影响是什么？一个跨领域的案例研究涉及所有CSs的水资源保护和生物多样性，以及卢旺达的生物多样性站点。在项目完成后，我们承诺将使当地人民与有关水的决策机构有效地联系起来。因此，所有的案例研究都解决了RQ3的问题：如何发展地方参与治理的能力，以实现：1)公平的水资源共享，2)社区污染恢复能力，以及3)生态系统保护和恢复？新的适应性系统方法（ASA）提供了一个连贯的方法框架，将支持案例研究比较，改变水开发实践，并将嵌入影响整个项目的途径。ASA需要参与研究，并借鉴三个核心理论概念，以及相关方法：复杂社会生态系统、跨学科和变革社会学习（在案例支持中详细阐述）。这些概念支撑了每个案例研究中遵循的四个ASA步骤：BOUND：研究人员与全方位的利益相关者合作，确定一个相关的、当地的水开发问题，并确定案例研究的范围。适应性规划过程：利益相关者共同创建他们所选择的当地问题的未来状态的上下文知情愿景，并共同制定目标层次结构以解决问题。3. 并行活动3.1研究每个案例研究小组解决具体的研究问题，为解决问题提供数据。当地人民，无论是正式的还是传统的水治理机构，共同朝着让当地人参与土地和水决策的方向发展。3.3战略适应性管理（SAM）——利益相关者将接受系统性、响应性、情境性、共同管理过程的培训。4. 研究人员和利益相关者利用SAM共同制定指标、共同监测、共同反思进展、共同学习和适应。在案例研究中遵循ASA嵌入了变革理论和影响途径。

Sustainable water resource development remains elusive because development has largely externalized costs to the environment and vulnerable people. There is a need for novel research theory, methodologies & practice in order to meet the UN SDGs and realise the Africa Water Vision 2025. We propose to launch an innovative research approach: the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA). Our aim is to apply transformative, transdisciplinary, community-engaged research, to shift water development outcomes towards achieving the SDGs. We focus on continental water development priorities: water supply and pollution.This collaboration brings together the ARUA Water Centre of Excellence (CoE) and UK partner, the University of Sheffield (UoS). The 8 CoE nodes are: i) Addis Ababa U, Ethiopia; U Rwanda, Rwanda; U Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal; Dar es Salaam U, Tanzania, Makerere U, Uganda (DAC least developed); ii) U Lagos, Nigeria (DAC lower-middle income); and iii) U Cape Town, Rhodes U (CoE Hub), South Africa (DAC upper-middle income). We propose a country-based Case Study structure to support local research development and pathways to local impact (Figure 1 in Case for Support). We use an SDG6 (water and sanitation) centred model, that links SDGs related to landscape water resources with SDGs related to water services. (This model underpins the successful UKRI:GCRF Capability Grant:"Water for African SDGs"). We raise three research questions (RQ) related to water development priorities. Three catchment-based Case Studies address RQ1: HOW IS WATER USED, TO WHOSE BENEFIT? (Rufigi R Tanzania, Senegal R Senegal, and Blue Nile R Ethiopia). Two Case Studies focus on urban water pollution (Kampala City Uganda and Lagos City Nigeria), addressing RQ2: WHAT ARE THE SOURCES, PATHWAYS AND IMPACT OF POLLUTION IN URBAN WATER SYSTEMS? A cross-cutting Case Study addresses water resource protection and biodiversity in all CSs, and a biodiversity site in Rwanda.By the completion of the project we commit to leaving local people effectively linked with institutions making decisions about water that affect them. Therefore all Case Studies address the question RQ3: HOW CAN LOCAL CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE BE DEVELOPED FOR: I) EQUITABLE WATER SHARING, II) COMMUNITY POLLUTION RESILIENCE, AND III) ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION AND RESTORATION? The novel Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) provides a coherent methodological framework that will support Case Study comparisons, changed water development practice, and will embed pathways to impact throughout the project. The ASA requires engaged research, and draws on three core theoretical concepts, with associated methods: Complex Social-Ecological Systems, Transdisciplinarity, and Transformative Social Learning (Elaborated in Case for Support).These concepts underpin four ASA steps, followed in each Case Study: 1. BOUND: Researchers engage with a full range of stakeholders to identify a relevant, local, water-development issue, and scope the Case Study. 2. ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS: Stakeholders co-create a contextually informed vision of the future state of their selected local issue, and co-develop an objectives hierarchy to move towards resolving the issue. 3. CONCURRENT ACTIVITIES 3.1 RESEARCH Each Case study team addresses the specific research questions, delivering data for resolving the problem. 3.2 PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT Local people, formal, and traditional, water governance institutions together move towards local people being part of land and water decision-making. 3.3 STRATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT (SAM) - stakeholders will be trained in a process for systemic, responsive, contextual, co-management. 4. PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF REFLEXIVE LEARNING Researchers and stakeholders co-develop indicators, co-monitor, co-reflect on progress, co-learn and adapt, using SAM.Following the ASA in the case studies embeds the theory of change, and the pathways to impact.