An analysis of the application of best management practices in collaborative watershed management to community-based sustainable development

Abstract

This research seeks to determine if BMPs from CWM can inform the broader concept of CBSD. In order to answer this question, I conduct a "desk study," which involves an extensive review of the CWM literature in two areas: stakeholder participation and building trust among stakeholders. I then analyze my research to deduce BMPs for these areas of CWM. As part of this analysis, I also explore how effective environmental communication plays a fundamental role in achieving these BMPs. The culmination of this work is the production of guidelines of best practice for stakeholder participation and building trust among stakeholders in CWM, which then is applied to challenges identified in CBSD. While creating thorough guidelines of best practice is not within the scope of this research, the following seven main principles could form the foundation of such a guide: identify and involve stakeholders from the beginning, analyze stakeholder knowledge and trust, identify and prioritize goals, implement structure to monitor and assess successes, reduce gaps in stakeholder knowledge, bridge the gaps between scientists and non-scientists involved, and use effective communication strategies to achieve goals.