Variable time scales, agent-based models, and role-playing games: The PIEPLUE river basin management game

This article presents a specific association of a role-playing game (RPG) and an agent-based model (ABM) aimed at dealing with a large range of time scales. Applications to the field of natural resource management lead one to consider the short time scale of resource use in practice at the same time as the longer ones related to resource dynamics or actors' investments. In their daily practice, stakeholders are translating their long-term strategies, a translation that is contextualized and combined with some cooccurring events. Long-term thinking is required for sustainable use of natural resources, but it should take into account its necessary adaptation on a short time scale. This raises the necessity for tools able to tackle jointly these various time scales. The similarity of architecture between computerized ABMs and RPGs makes them easy to associate in a hybrid tool, targeted at meeting this requirement. The proposition of this article is to allocate the representation of short time scales to computerized ABMs and the long ones to RPGs, while keeping the same static structural conceptual model, shared as a common root by both. This synergy is illustrated with PIEPLUE, an interactive setting tackling water-sharing issues.GESTION DE L'EAU;BASSIN VERSANT;RESSOURCE NATURELLE;MODELE;JEU DE ROLE;SYSTEME MULTIAGENTS;AGENT-BASED MODEL;CASE STUDY OF WATER SHARING;CONCEPTUAL MODEL;HYBRID TOOL;INVESTMENTS;LONG-TERM ISSUES;NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT;PIEPLUE;PARTICIPATORY MODELING;RESOURCE DYNAMICS;RESOURCE USE;ROLE-PLAYING GAME;STAKEHOLDERS;SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES;TIME-SCALE DIVERSITY;VARIABLE TIME SCALES;WATER MANAGEMENT

Contribution of simulation and gaming to natural resource management issues: An introduction

Nowadays, computer-mediated simulations and games are widely used in the field of natural resource management (NRM). They have proved to be useful for various purposes such as supporting decisionmaking processes and training. First, the specificities of the NRM research field are highlighted. Then, based on the analysis of the articles presented in this special issue of Simulation & Gaming, some key features related to the implementation of gaming in such a context are introduced. Finally, after reviewing the benefits of using simulation games in NRM, the authors stress the ethical issue of changing social relationships among stakeholders by playing a game with some of themGESTION DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT;RESSOURCE NATURELLE;SIMULATION;SOCIOLOGIE;JEU DE ROLE;BENEFITS;CONTEXT;COLLECTIVE POLICY DESIGN;DECISION MAKING;ETHICAL ISSUES;IMPLEMENTATION;NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (NRM);SIMULATION GAMES;SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT;SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS;SOCIOECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS;STAKEHOLDERS

Role-Playing Games in a variety of cultures: experiences from the ComMod group

The ComMod group has developped and implemented a common approach of using agent based simulations and role playing games in several parts of the world: Africa, Europe,Oceania, South-East Asia and Latin America. The communication introduced by this extended abstract describes the variations among these various implementations of the same methods in these different cultural contexts, with a focus on experiments with water management issues

SIGECORIS : un simulateur pour explorer des modalités de gestion préventive des inondations

Dans l'exercice de modélisation présenté nous avons fait trois hypothèses fondamentales : (1) la gestion préventive des inondations est avant tout une question de gestion du territoire ; (2) les inondations concernent assurément des agents individuels (qui sont assimilés à des investisseurs) mais (3) sont principalement gérées à un niveau collectif. Ces hypothèses nous amènent à proposer un canevas radicalement différent des rares cas de modélisation sur le sujet rencontrées dans la littérature[1], où les inondations ne soient jamais plus qu'une contrainte dans l'environnement des agents modélisés, jamais un objectif de gestion en soiINONDATION;MODELISATION;PREVENTION DES RISQUES;GESTION;ECONOMIE;SYSTEME MULTIAGENTS

Des outils et méthodes en appui à la gestion de l'eau par bassin versant

Les acteurs clé de la mise en oeuvre des dispositifs mis en place dans le cadre des procédures de gestion de l'eau sont les animateurs de bassin versant. Ils ont intégré dans leur métier la nécessité d'impliquer les usagers dans la construction des choix collectifs. Ils sont demandeurs de formation et d'appui pour la concertation et l'animation. Par ailleurs la participation en elle-même est polysémique et mérite d'être explicitée. Nous détaillons ici trois méthodes utilisant des focus groups, des jeux de rôles et des simulations interactives permettant de répondre à ces besoins. Leur réussite repose en particulier sur leur ouverture à une diversité de points de vue pouvant être partagés entre les participants et à leur contingence aux spécificités de chaque site / Key actors in the implementation of river basin management processes are the basin managers. They have integrated in their duties the need to involve stakeholders in collective choices. They feel the need for training and support for dialogue and mediation. Participation has several meanings by itself and should be made explicit. We describe here three methods using focus groups, role playing games and interactive simulations in order to meet these needs. Their success depends on their openness to a diversity of viewpoints, to be shared among participants, as well as to specificities of each site.GESTION DE L'EAU;BASSIN VERSANT;SIMULATION;JEU DE ROLE;FOCUS GROUP

La modélisation d'accompagnement : une méthode de recherche participative et adaptative

Ce chapitre vise à présenter la diversité dans la mise en ½uvre d'un processus de modélisation d'accompagnement, mais aussi les points communs qui en émergent. L'objectif est de décrire pour mieux comprendre, sans intention normative. Nous nous appuyons sur l'analyse des cas d'études et des documents listés dans l'introduction. Notre analyse rassemble des cas concrets et des pratiques qui se réclament de la modélisation d'accompagnement et qui seront donc considérés comme tels dans notre analyse. La compatibilité de la diversité observée avec le cadre d'une adhésion aux principes initiaux de la charte sort du cadre de ce chapitre, elle est traitée dans la conclusion générale de l'ouvrage

How agency models inspire large scale participatory planning and its evaluation

International audienceWe describe how three models, for sustainable change, human agency in collective resource management, and socio-environmental systems, have been used to design a protocol and the tools for a large scale (1500 participants, 35 villages) multi-level participatory process held in Africa for Integrated Natural Resource Management, through the European Project Afromaison. The process especially combines a common action model to support proposals by stakeholders, an integration matrix to build coherent plans, a role playing game design process, and a method to combine planning and playing to engage into the plans. It has also inspired the design of the attached monitoring and evaluation process. We describe the process in two countries, Ethiopia and Uganda, present the theoretical bases of the evaluation framework using the ENCORE paradigm and the implemented methodology transferred to local evaluators. We introduce some results and propose comments on potential learning back to the modelling community

CatchScape: An integrated multi-agent model for simulating water management at the catchment scale

Abstract: Due to mounting human pressure, stakeholders in northern Thailand are facing crucial natural resources management issues. Among others, the impact of upstream irrigation management on the downstream agricultural viability is a usual source of conflict. It has often both biophysical and social origins. As different ethnic groups with tense relationships are involved, appropriate solutions should only emerge from negotiation. CATCHSCAPE has been developed through a Multi-Agent System approach that enables us to describe the whole catchment features as well with farmer's individual decisions. The biophysical modules simulate the hydrological system with its distributed water balance, irrigated schemes management, crop and vegetation dynamics. The social dynamics are described as a set of resources management processes (water, land, cash, labour force). Water management is described according to the actual different levels of control (individual, scheme and catchment. Moreover, the model's architecture is presented in a way that emphasizes the transparency of the rules and methods implemented. Finally, one simulated scenario is described with its main results as well, according to different viewpoints (economy, landscape, water management)