In the Tisza case study stakeholder participatory process was organised and conducted in collaboration with local Hungarian and Ukrainian scientific partners which have been contacted and integrated in the Tisza case study team in the preparation phase of the project. For their selection their command in water and river basin related scientific background as well as their involvment in national and international projects on water and river basin management was decisive.
Together with the local scientific partners the stakeholder elicitation process was initiated taking into account the idea to involve key stakeholders and experts from different levels such as ministries, regional and local water management as well as NGOs.
Different focal points of research were formulated, such as
- Developing a sustainable model and a management game for sustainable floodplain (land use) management at a regional scale (50 km2) for the Northern Hungarian Tisza floodplains
- Developing a model for flood risk management for the Northern Tisza floodplains in Ukraine and Hungary
- Generic framework for an Integrated Monitoring and Information System for the Tisza River basin, based on WFD requirements
- Application of knowledge elicitation tools to incorporate tacit knowledge into the learning processes.
These points of research were reflected in research and action plan, coordinating project activities. To address flood risk, several workshops, mental modelling sessions, tool development sessions, Training for Trainers activities took place. These session used an array of participatory techniques like group model building and conceptual/mental modelling as well as knowledge elecitation tools to involve expert and empirical (local) knowledge and to structure local insights on the research points.
Subsequently, as an important part of the participatory process, a stakeholder-driven definition and selection of major IWRM related research needs to be addressed in the Tisza Case Study took place in several kick-off meetings.