11. Evaluating an Agri-Environmental Network and Its Role in Collaborative Problem-Solving

Complex problems that cannot be resolved using a traditional problem-solving approach guided by expert science are becoming more common (Turner 2004). Complex environmental problems, many of these associated with contemporary water management, are particularly challenging because they are set within a broader societal context that includes financial, institutional, economic, political, social and technical considerations (Patrick et al. 2008). This has led to the recognition that an alternative approach is necessary for making decisions about water management, one that incorporates the knowledge and perspectives of different stakeholder groups (Functowicz and Ravetz 1993; Wynne 2002). In this chapter, the focus is on a particular alternative approach—collaborative approaches to environmental problem-solving—that brings diverse stakeholders together to integrate different forms of knowledge with community beliefs and values, and to engage in problem-solving using a consensus-based approach (Lemos and Agrawal 2006; Paavola 2007).