MAS & RPG – C. Le Page - P. Bommel1

A companioning experiment of the decision-A companioning experiment of the decision-

making process to making process to ddecentralized planningecentralized planning

Using MAS for Natural Resources Management :A test operation in the valley of the Senegal river,

combining GIS, role playing games and MAS.

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Simulation and adaptive management : an approachSimulation and adaptive management : an approach

Role games and multi-agent systems : a

common representation to increase knowledge on the behaviour,

to give back the model to the actors and validate it,

to be able to simulate scenarios

Tests : irrigated scheme,

space allocation between farmers and herders,

negotiation between forest manager and herder

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Context Context : : Land use in SenegalLand use in Senegal

Decentralisation -> Rural Councils have to

manage the resources

Problems of allocation of space : multiple

uses of the same space (agriculture-

grazing)

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ContextContext : : Land use in SenegalLand use in Senegal

The valley of the Senegal river, deeply modified by hydraulic buildings

disturbed by the dryness's

A strictly hydro-agricultural policy always operating (no complementarity between the various activities).

A theoretically complete but not very effective decentralization (assimilation; transfer of competence; supports for communities)

A confusion of the roles between concerned institutions (technical services, local councils, civil company, NGO)

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StakesStakes

Provide to the Local Communities the knowledge

and the capacity to act.

Obtain the gratitude and the support by all the

institutional actors of the actions of the Rural

Councils.

Facilitate for the populations, the knowledge, the

follow-up and the control of this management.

Build a reproducible method to introduce a real

transfer of competence for the management of

territory.

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StepStep: An: An "adapted" technical support "adapted" technical support

Let Local Communities choose internally and

at their rhythm, the rules for the resources

uses and the investment projects.

Do not participate in the strategic choices: let

the local leaders choose.

Give the information and the knowledge

Example: the « SelfCormas » experiment

Two years process (GIS, workshops,etc.)

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Land-use workshops Land-use workshops

Day 1: Identification and characterization Definition of resources and space,

Criteria of satisfaction for every type of use

Rules, behavior,

A shared spatial representation

Day 2: Role game, problems and scenarios According to discussed elements of the previous day

Identification of the problems and propositions of scenarios

Day 3: Simulations and tests Simulations of the proposed scenarios

Test of new scenarios

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From the role game to the MASFrom the role game to the MAS

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Agents’ behaviourAgents’ behaviour

Farmer : - raining season crops on - dry season crops near permanent water

Herder: - distance to water < 5km- herd does not cross the crops - better grazing areas = crops residuals and

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Basic Simulation

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Addition of canals

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Canals+ access rules

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OutputsOutputs: : Facilitate discussions Facilitate discussions

Facilitate discussions on :Ngnith village : new water points or new channels,

access rules to the water

Nboudoum village : necessity of grazing management

(technical expertise), access to a park

Ndiaye village : positive impact of agricultural

diversification

Facilitate discussions in conflict situations

Taboo objects or phenomenon

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Key lessonsKey lessons

Model as a common representation

(researchers, actors, politicians)

Model as mediator object

KISS

Research on Adaptive (evolving) models

for adaptive management

http://www.commod.org

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ExperimentsExperiments

Irrigated schemes in Senegal [Barreteau]

Land-use allocation between cropping and breeding in Senegal [d’Aquino],

Negotiations between a shepherd and a forester in a mediterranean forest [Etienne],

Discussions between foresters, shepherds and national park rangers to manage pine encroachment in the Mejan Causse (South of France) [Etienne],

Management of agricultural land in North Vietnam [Boissau]

Local management of phytogenetics resources in Madagascar [Aubert]

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ComMod : a Companion Modelling ApproachComMod : a Companion Modelling Approach

to tackle issues regarding decision processes, common

property, co-ordination among actors, etc.

An approach, which should be understood as a

scientific posture more than a modelling handbook.

Modelling is merely an intermediary object (Vinck 1999)

facilitating our collective and interdisciplinary thought.

Modelling activities are involved in the development

process, and our preferred way to test and to question

theories.

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ComMod : a Companion Modelling ApproachComMod : a Companion Modelling Approach

Use of modelling approach in two specific contexts :Standard: the production of knowledge on some complex

systems, (To be voluntarily and directly subjected to refutation)

The importance given to field work leads to expectations

regarding tangible effects:

the support to collective decision-making processes

three kinds of the outputs : the modification of perceptions, of

behaviours, or of actions

Understand

EVALUATE

MODELLING

Knowledgeincrease

Corroboration / refutation