Research limitations and methodological constraints

conflict-co-operation analysis contributes to effectively dealing with the constraints in adaptive management. In this thesis I investigated the existing multi-stakeholder processes in TRM and the result calls for an upgrading of stakeholders’ role in delta management. By providing the concept of multi-stakeholder learning partnerships, this thesis reveals an approach that can help improve learning co-ordination vertically between the different levels of management stakeholders by establishing joint trust, motivation and commitment.

6.4. Research limitations and methodological constraints

In this synthesis of the thesis, as an exercise in critical reflection and learning, I am going to conclude with a personal reflection on the over-all research process and methods used.

This thesis has deployed interdisciplinary research methods to consider both natural and social science aspects for optimized land use and water resources management practices in the Bangladesh delta. In the methodology, I referred to my intention to consider this PhD research as a learning process involving an integrated and participatory research framework.

Following the perspective of pragmatism and dynamism, different theoretical concepts and tools of participatory research were used in the research design. In this thesis, I utilized an integrated and participatory evaluation approach to explore the dynamics in delta management and the social learning configurations within them and their implications for tidal river management in the context of creating a more sustainable delta. I assumed that the validity of those evaluations and analysis methods in this thesis has been augmented by direct community participation and the mirroring of the findings with the participants in the study, for as much as possible, in different stages of this research. It is really a community involved multi-level stakeholder approach where secondary data support was used when needed. I heavily relied on the feedback of local and regional government stakeholders on my learning outputs and findings as needed. I also assumed that the social learning theory and multi-stakeholder processes underlying the sustainable practice of delta management focused on in this thesis must be understood and appreciated as an integrated and situated phenomenon.

This thesis uses participatory evaluation and triangulation; however it also includes exploratory and empirical research approaches in order to facilitate multi-actor processes and generate justified and trustworthy answers to the research questions. In this section I look back on the main research strategies used (methodical review, survey, participatory

assessment and synthesis) which require some reflection to have more acceptability of my research findings. What follows are four areas of deliberation and concern that need to be considered in this light.

a) Lack of integration and co-ordination in management research

At the start of my research, I had some practical experiences of observing severe waterlogging and its impacts on inhabitants in the southwest coastal delta. However, I observed some unusual strains in the water management process when I reviewed the project reports of KJDRP and other TRM related published materials. There was contradiction in arguments of government organizations and non-government organizations in contexts of goals and strategies of TRM. Hence, it was quite difficult to simplify the past and present history of TRM as a promising regional delta management process. But the participation of different levels of stakeholders in my research helped identify the most plausible story in most of the cases. During the survey stage the participatory appraisal of the management transition also provided meaningful insights in multidisciplinary research as it operates at the intersection of social, technical and ecological perspectives.

b) Multiple dimensions of issues and information

During the journey of my research, the choice of multiple methods for data collection and analysis served as a triangulation tool and resulted in drawing more balanced conclusions. As I had designed an interdisciplinary research, multiple methods were used to increase confidence in the validity of the research findings. To conduct a proper scientific research, I had developed my conceptual view through a systematic review of literature. Trying to be sensitive to and inclusive of multiple perspective of a complex system, I found myself continuously struggling to be on the right track in finding appropriate scientific theory. Once, I became confident about this, I came to use different tools for searching data sources and collecting diversified data. I needed to cross-check the data collected from different level of respondents. I had to organize collective response sessions for obtaining a justified synthesis of data and statements of the stakeholders. I have faced open verbal conflicts between community stakeholders and management actors, however at the end I was able to find strong evidence in and against their arguments. In those cases I received help from some local knowledge informants and social activists who could facilitate the decision making. In my research,

6

conflict-co-operation analysis contributes to effectively dealing with the constraints in adaptive management. In this thesis I investigated the existing multi-stakeholder processes in TRM and the result calls for an upgrading of stakeholders’ role in delta management. By providing the concept of multi-stakeholder learning partnerships, this thesis reveals an approach that can help improve learning co-ordination vertically between the different levels of management stakeholders by establishing joint trust, motivation and commitment.

6.4. Research limitations and methodological constraints

In this synthesis of the thesis, as an exercise in critical reflection and learning, I am going to conclude with a personal reflection on the over-all research process and methods used.

This thesis has deployed interdisciplinary research methods to consider both natural and social science aspects for optimized land use and water resources management practices in the Bangladesh delta. In the methodology, I referred to my intention to consider this PhD research as a learning process involving an integrated and participatory research framework.

Following the perspective of pragmatism and dynamism, different theoretical concepts and tools of participatory research were used in the research design. In this thesis, I utilized an integrated and participatory evaluation approach to explore the dynamics in delta management and the social learning configurations within them and their implications for tidal river management in the context of creating a more sustainable delta. I assumed that the validity of those evaluations and analysis methods in this thesis has been augmented by direct community participation and the mirroring of the findings with the participants in the study, for as much as possible, in different stages of this research. It is really a community involved multi-level stakeholder approach where secondary data support was used when needed. I heavily relied on the feedback of local and regional government stakeholders on my learning outputs and findings as needed. I also assumed that the social learning theory and multi-stakeholder processes underlying the sustainable practice of delta management focused on in this thesis must be understood and appreciated as an integrated and situated phenomenon.

This thesis uses participatory evaluation and triangulation; however it also includes exploratory and empirical research approaches in order to facilitate multi-actor processes and generate justified and trustworthy answers to the research questions. In this section I look back on the main research strategies used (methodical review, survey, participatory

assessment and synthesis) which require some reflection to have more acceptability of my research findings. What follows are four areas of deliberation and concern that need to be considered in this light.

a) Lack of integration and co-ordination in management research

At the start of my research, I had some practical experiences of observing severe waterlogging and its impacts on inhabitants in the southwest coastal delta. However, I observed some unusual strains in the water management process when I reviewed the project reports of KJDRP and other TRM related published materials. There was contradiction in arguments of government organizations and non-government organizations in contexts of goals and strategies of TRM. Hence, it was quite difficult to simplify the past and present history of TRM as a promising regional delta management process. But the participation of different levels of stakeholders in my research helped identify the most plausible story in most of the cases. During the survey stage the participatory appraisal of the management transition also provided meaningful insights in multidisciplinary research as it operates at the intersection of social, technical and ecological perspectives.

b) Multiple dimensions of issues and information

During the journey of my research, the choice of multiple methods for data collection and analysis served as a triangulation tool and resulted in drawing more balanced conclusions. As I had designed an interdisciplinary research, multiple methods were used to increase confidence in the validity of the research findings. To conduct a proper scientific research, I had developed my conceptual view through a systematic review of literature. Trying to be sensitive to and inclusive of multiple perspective of a complex system, I found myself continuously struggling to be on the right track in finding appropriate scientific theory. Once, I became confident about this, I came to use different tools for searching data sources and collecting diversified data. I needed to cross-check the data collected from different level of respondents. I had to organize collective response sessions for obtaining a justified synthesis of data and statements of the stakeholders. I have faced open verbal conflicts between community stakeholders and management actors, however at the end I was able to find strong evidence in and against their arguments. In those cases I received help from some local knowledge informants and social activists who could facilitate the decision making. In my research,

6

I used the institutional survey to supplement the data for primary investigation. Those data collaborated the community data and increased the credibility of my findings.

c) Lack of transparency in management processes hinders learning research

In the field-based interdisciplinary research, there is always a chance to be biased, so I took some measures to reduce these biases. During joint events such as in stakeholder meetings and workshops, I have invited community participants as well as representatives of other stakeholders. In my research, it was difficult to convince both the academic experts in Bangladesh and The Netherlands and the management professionals with the theoretical basis of the learning research. The management professionals in Bangladesh also argued the point of ineffective participation processes in Bangladesh. It was really time-consuming and sometimes difficult to arrange meetings or interviews with government officials.

e) Lack of mutual trust and motivation limits the scope of learning

My study area is not only dynamic in natural settings but also very sensitive in socio-political issues. Additionally, the activities of the government water agency have been criticized in this area for decades and currently the community becomes extremely antagonistic towards the staff of BWDB due to their long term sufferings. So, during the field visits the first question from the community respondents was “Are you from the Water Board?” It was a big challenge to gain their trust and to convince them of my good intentions.

During my research, I also discovered the tension between making explicit social learning configurations in my learning process and the conceptual background of different stakeholders. The marginal community people do not really care about the theory of learning in knowledge sharing in the rural area. However, they have a typical process of learning and doing from experiences. In addition, the political influence and pressure is very strong in the rural society. In this situation, working with multiple stakeholder groups and facilitating a social learning research was not impossible but challenging as it required careful maneuvering and navigation of force-fields and tensions, a skill which took me some time to develop.

As monitoring social and institutional contexts in the study area has been quite rare and not very significant, I had to use limited observation data and qualitative assessment of stakeholder perceptions to understand the learning and participation processes taking place (Chapter 3 and 5). Also, there were data gaps in secondary data of some bio-physical components and seasonal variation in some of the key parameters (Chapter 2).

In my research, the selection of study area was very simple: I covered the area of a well-known water management project, KJDRP, which is also popular as the home ground of TRM. The selection of sample villages for socio-economic data collection however was difficult because the land-owner farmers live in different villages that are often quite far removed from the TRM beels. So, I was randomly sampling the nearest villages of TRM beels within the same tidal river catchment following the local union map. In the field survey, I used a zoom-in map that included the TRM beels, however during thesis writing I used the published KJDRP map provided by management authority which led to some discrepancies.

From an analytical point of view, this research has explored the transitions of management by mainly looking at changes in practice, paying less attention to policy.

For examining the social learning in practice, TRM cases were selected both in KJDRP area and in Kobadak river rehabilitation project area, assuming a critical comparison and change assessment with different location of practices would be possible. However, TRM in Kobadak was delayed and was not implemented within the research period. So, I had to continue the analysis with cases in different beels but within same management project which made assessing the presence and nature of social learning in existing participation process more difficult (Chapter 3 and 5).

There are several departments and organizations working on water management-related topics at different times and different locations in the southwest coastal area.

Therefore, to do stakeholder analysis, I only considered the organizations who are long time involved in TRM and delta management as the stakeholders in this study. The fact that some of the newer organizations that are emerging more recently are not included can be considered a weakness. Future research in TRM in the Bangladesh delta would have to include these organizations as they may represent new ways of working and interacting.

By carrying out intensive participatory research in a rural coastal area, I did gain access to real-life experiences with illiterate and semi-literate people, and was able to discover that they are indeed self-educated to cope with frequent natural hazards. Most of

6

I used the institutional survey to supplement the data for primary investigation. Those data collaborated the community data and increased the credibility of my findings.

c) Lack of transparency in management processes hinders learning research

In the field-based interdisciplinary research, there is always a chance to be biased, so I took some measures to reduce these biases. During joint events such as in stakeholder meetings and workshops, I have invited community participants as well as representatives of other stakeholders. In my research, it was difficult to convince both the academic experts in Bangladesh and The Netherlands and the management professionals with the theoretical basis of the learning research. The management professionals in Bangladesh also argued the point of ineffective participation processes in Bangladesh. It was really time-consuming and sometimes difficult to arrange meetings or interviews with government officials.

e) Lack of mutual trust and motivation limits the scope of learning

My study area is not only dynamic in natural settings but also very sensitive in socio-political issues. Additionally, the activities of the government water agency have been criticized in this area for decades and currently the community becomes extremely antagonistic towards the staff of BWDB due to their long term sufferings. So, during the field visits the first question from the community respondents was “Are you from the Water Board?” It was a big challenge to gain their trust and to convince them of my good intentions.

During my research, I also discovered the tension between making explicit social learning configurations in my learning process and the conceptual background of different stakeholders. The marginal community people do not really care about the theory of learning in knowledge sharing in the rural area. However, they have a typical process of learning and doing from experiences. In addition, the political influence and pressure is very strong in the rural society. In this situation, working with multiple stakeholder groups and facilitating a social learning research was not impossible but challenging as it required careful maneuvering and navigation of force-fields and tensions, a skill which took me some time to develop.

As monitoring social and institutional contexts in the study area has been quite rare and not very significant, I had to use limited observation data and qualitative assessment of stakeholder perceptions to understand the learning and participation processes taking place (Chapter 3 and 5). Also, there were data gaps in secondary data of some bio-physical components and seasonal variation in some of the key parameters (Chapter 2).

In my research, the selection of study area was very simple: I covered the area of a well-known water management project, KJDRP, which is also popular as the home ground of TRM. The selection of sample villages for socio-economic data collection however was difficult because the land-owner farmers live in different villages that are often quite far removed from the TRM beels. So, I was randomly sampling the nearest villages of TRM beels within the same tidal river catchment following the local union map. In the field survey, I used a zoom-in map that included the TRM beels, however during thesis writing I used the published KJDRP map provided by management authority which led to some discrepancies.

From an analytical point of view, this research has explored the transitions of management by mainly looking at changes in practice, paying less attention to policy.

For examining the social learning in practice, TRM cases were selected both in KJDRP area and in Kobadak river rehabilitation project area, assuming a critical comparison and change assessment with different location of practices would be possible. However, TRM in Kobadak was delayed and was not implemented within the research period. So, I had to continue the analysis with cases in different beels but within same management project which made assessing the presence and nature of social learning in existing participation process more difficult (Chapter 3 and 5).

There are several departments and organizations working on water management-related topics at different times and different locations in the southwest coastal area.

Therefore, to do stakeholder analysis, I only considered the organizations who are long time involved in TRM and delta management as the stakeholders in this study. The fact that some of the newer organizations that are emerging more recently are not included can be considered a weakness. Future research in TRM in the Bangladesh delta would have to include these organizations as they may represent new ways of working and interacting.

By carrying out intensive participatory research in a rural coastal area, I did gain access to real-life experiences with illiterate and semi-literate people, and was able to

By carrying out intensive participatory research in a rural coastal area, I did gain access to real-life experiences with illiterate and semi-literate people, and was able to