Author(s):
Varanda, Marta Pedro, 1965- 
; Bento, Sofia
Date: 2013
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/8278
Origin: Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
Subject(s): Recursos hídricos; Cientistas
Document details
Scientists and stakeholders: can two separate worlds be joined for sustainable ...
Description
According to the International Council for Science, science should be developed for the benefit of all. In face of complex environmental problems and of a need for the sustainable management of water, answers are increasingly requested from science. A science that can face such challenge must be constructed in cooperation with policy makers and society (hence enlarging the traditional scientific sphere), and its product must be effectively linked to policy. However, these new forms of science production always raise a number of obstacles: differences in interests, incentives and languages among these actors. These obstacles are further increased when the scientific issues are of low social relevance, which is the case with climate change. This paper focuses a set of scientific projects financed by Circle–Med programme which dealt with management of hydrological resources in the Mediterranean region in a context of climate change. In this call, a strong appeal was made for research to be pursued in collaboration with local stakeholders and for the interdisciplinary of teams, as to include social science researchers. After the analysis of research projects’ documents and interviews to coordinators, we conclude that the liaison to stakeholders has a very secondary role (and is often not even considered) in the scientific outputs. The current organization of science and public administration, as well as its under financing and focus on short term goals, was unanimously considered to be strong deterrents of the collaboration of science and society.
According to the International Council for Science, science should be developed for the benefit of all. In face of complex environmental problems and of a need for the sustainable management of water, answers are increasingly requested from science. A science that can face such challenge must be constructed in cooperation with policy makers and society (hence enlarging the traditional scientific sphere), and its product must be effectively linked to policy. However, these new forms of science production always raise a number of obstacles: differences in interests, incentives and languages among these actors. These obstacles are further increased when the scientific issues are of low social relevance, which is the case with climate change. This paper focuses a set of scientific projects financed by Circle–Med programme which dealt with management of hydrological resources in the Mediterranean region in a context of climate change. In this call, a strong appeal was made for research to be pursued in collaboration with local stakeholders and for the interdisciplinary of teams, as to include social science researchers. After the analysis of research projects’ documents and interviews to coordinators, we conclude that the liaison to stakeholders has a very secondary role (and is often not even considered) in the scientific outputs. The current organization of science and public administration, as well as its under financing and focus on short term goals, was unanimously considered to be strong deterrents of the collaboration of science and society.
Document Type
Conference Object
Language English
Language English
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