The social construction and consequences of groundwater modelling: insight from the Mancha Oriental aquifer, Spain

ABSTRACT

Groundwater flow models have been increasingly used to support policy making. A substantial amount of research has been dedicated to improving, validating and calibrating models and including stakeholders in the modelling process. However, little research has been done to analyze how the choices of model makers and steering by policy makers result in models with specific characteristics, which only allow specific modelling outcomes, and how the use of these modelling outcomes leads to specific social, economic and environmental consequences. In this study, we use the social construction of technology framework to explore the development, characteristics and uses of the groundwater model of the Mancha Oriental aquifer in Spain. The specific characteristics and functioning of this model influenced the policy implementation, implying that involving stakeholders in the development and use of models is crucial for improved democratic policy making.

KEYWORDS:

• Groundwater governance
• modelling
• model-based policy-making
• Social Construction of Technology (SCOT)
• Spain

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2018.1495619

Acknowledgments

This work was carried out as part of the collaboration agreement between the University of Castilla–La Mancha and Wageningen University. The research is also part of Femke Rambags’ MSc Thesis. David Sanz was supported by the Grants for Stays at Other Universities and Research Centres (UCLM). Special thanks go to the Júcar Water Authority (CHJ) and stakeholders (JCRMO) in the Mancha Oriental System for the necessary information. We would also like to thank Dr A. Sahuquillo of the Universitat Politècnica de València de Valencia and Dr S. Castaño of the University of Castilla–La Mancha for comments and participation in the first stage of modelling. The contents of this paper do not represent the views of CHJ or JCRMO. Finally, we thank the two anonymous reviewers of this article for their valuable comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.