Participatory modelling and development practice: artisanal fishers in Nicaragua

ABSTRACT

Development plans with insufficient knowledge about local realities, and that do not share technical or planning details with the target communities, bedevil development practice. This study used a form of participatory modelling in three fishing communities in Nicaragua to enable fishers to explore their economy and the potential impacts of fishery-based development projects. Co-designing a model of the fishing economy in the form of a board game created a forum in which facilitators and participants could arrive at a shared understanding of local fishing practices and the costs and benefits of strategies for addressing the fishers’ priorities.

KEYWORDS:

• Civil society – Participation
• Aid – Development policies
• Labour and livelihoods – Economics
• Environment (built and natural)
• Latin America and the Caribbean

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Christian E. Casillas is an educator and sustainable development planner. He has worked with communities and governments in the US, Africa, Central and South America, and India on projects in fields of rural electrification, education, and economic development. Christian received his PhD in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley.

Isha Ray is Associate Professor at the Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, and Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center. She and her students have conducted research on water, sanitation and technology in Turkey, India, China, Tanzania, Mexico, and California.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation: [Grant Number N/A].