Land & Water / SimRapel Project Launch

June 12th, 2018

Based on applied science, SimRapel is developed, which is a innovative tool that seeks to help decision making in water management in the Rapel basin. It is framed in the project called: “SimRapel: Participatory Modeling for Water Governance”, which is being carried out with funds from the Regional Government of O’Higgins. The tool is supported by a transparent participatory process that helps to construct and promote the social capital and to facilitate water governance in the area.

Context

The O’Higgins Region is sustained on a rich hydrographic system, where agriculture and mining are the main activities. For the centre-north and centre-south of Chile, it has been estimated that water demand in all sectors is rising 1 and there is a projected diminishment of 20-30% in the average rainfall towards the end of the 21st Century2; therefore it is essential to consolidate an integrated water management in that area.

Facing the challenges that this subject presents, for institutions and for communications among water users, in 2016, CSIRO Chile developed in this region the project called “Integrated Water Management Plan for the Rapel Basin – Stage I”.

With a participatory process as base, from the beginning of the project, and with a Advisory Group integrated by 12 key actors leading the project, a shared vision for 2050 was established, and 7 tools were identified to improve water management.

1. Jiménez, J.P., Plan Maestro de Gestión de Recursos HídricosRegión de O’Higgins, DGA, 2012
2. FCCyT , Diagnóstico del Agua en las Américas, 2012

 


SimRapel: Participatory Modeling for Water Governance – Stage II

In 2018, this project began as one of the 7 tools identified in Stage I. This project is based on the work of CSIRO, an organization with over 100 years of experience in more than 9 areas of applied science in Australia and the world.

The tool called FlowLogo couples hydric models from a basin with an Agent Based Model, and utilizes the method of participatory modeling to incorporate all actors and concerned parts in the decision making process, strengthening the integrated water management in the basin. This tool, based on science, analyzes in an integrated way the social, economic and hydrologic dynamics specific to the basin. With this information, we can strengthen the integrated water management in the basin and elaborate water management strategies.

 

Specific objetives:

  1. Enable the relationship and interaction among actors
  2. Promote the social capital through a participatory modeling
  3. Conceptualize and design a social-hydric model for the basin in FlowLogo
  4. Implement the SimRapel computer platform as a support tool in decision making.
  5. Evaluate strategies and/or scenarios that promote water governance.

 

 

For further information:

Gabriella Bennison – Project Manager
gabriella.bennison@csiro.au
+56 2 2797 6300