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AbstractWater Security through Participatory Action Research in the Northern Province (WASPAR) is a project driven by the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, since March 2020. The project itself and some of the significant outcomes over the 3‐year first phase of research are outlined here. WASPAR took inspiration from two emerging fields of study: Sociohydrology and Environmental Communication. Socio‐hydrology is envisaged as a science underpinning water governance, which engages with changes in both hydrology and society, not one or the other. Environmental Communication applied here works on the premise that how well we communicated with each other about water determined how well we addressed the ecological crisis. Communicating is synonymous to learning across multiple perspectives held by the many actors, often actors with competing interests and conflicting values. WASPAR acknowledged the limitations of existing institutional and social structures and their fragmented ways of water management. Instead, it put forward the search for a holistic, trans‐disciplinary, and multistakeholder approach for water security. Work to date on the project presented here reflect quantitative data gathered through empirical research within the project and in the field. Reflective analysis of qualitative data obtained from the participatory research processes are to be published later. Altogether, WASPAR project has made preliminary but promising steps in progressing towards informing, influencing and educating stakeholders, domain experts and decision‐makers on the need for and merits of participatory decision‐making, generating a sense of community, and the development of institutional infrastructure. Continuation of these efforts with increased participation of the research community in the universities during the next phase of this project needs to foster the governance approach and ensure the legitimacy and influence of the Northern Water Dialogue Forum in place for planning a water secure future for the Province.

AbstractWater Security through Participatory Action Research in the Northern Province (WASPAR) is a project driven by the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, since March 2020. The project itself and some of the significant outcomes over the 3‐year first phase of research will make up part of the upcoming Special Issue of this journal. As guest editors of the Special Issue, we bring this note as a preface for what is to come in the collection, while also positioning the six contributed papers and one invited paper within the themes of Water Security, Participatory Governance, and Dialogue Spaces for Change, the latter two as emergent themes in the search for the first, Water Security. WASPAR took as its starting point the limitations of existing institutional and social structures and their fragmented ways of water management. Instead, it put forward the search for a holistic, trans‐disciplinary, and multi‐stakeholder approach for water security in the Northern Province. In that search, water security and water governance would become more relevant keywords in the project's research vocabulary to replace water supply and water management.

AbstractThis paper discusses the theory of Systemic Action Research and its use in postgraduate research education, in the context of agriculture and rural development. The paper discusses what systems thinking is and introduces the concepts of Systemic Development. This is followed by an argument for a paradigm shift in how agriculture is viewed, and an associated shift in education from teaching to learning. The core ideas of action research are then described and illustrated by two case studies drawn from PhD research projects supervised by the authors. Introducing the ideas of technical, practical, and emancipatory action research, the paper further expands upon these concepts of action research, illuminated by two additional PhD projects. Overall the paper demonstrates the usefulness of Systemic Action Research as the basis for postgraduate research to deal with real contextual issues in their true complexity, and in a holistic way. In this process, genuine participation and the encouragement of diversity are seen as rights rather than as means to greater research efficiency, thus giving power to people to act through the generation of knowledge by critical reflection. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The article discusses an action research project conducted in the Upper Amazon region of Peru that focused on the working approach of a NGO partner called PRADERA. In its land management projects PRADERA's working approach was characterized by a close collaboration with farmers. Its emphasis was on grasping the farmers' perspective on agriculture, targeting of local institutions in the villages as natural arenas for learning, and including topics in their analysis such as culture and worldview; this is analyzed through the framework of a reflective learning organization. The organization's capacity for learning is described as consisting of single-, double- and the possibility of triple-loop learning. During our collaboration with PRADERA, though we did not find established internal arrangements that could foster a triple-loop learning process, incipient signs were noted of space and potential which could favor deeper levels of learning. The importance of deeper levels of learning in the work of small highly action oriented NGOs such as PRADERA that act as a bridge between local farmers and the outside world, and how action research methodology can be a tool for developing reflectivity within such an organization, are discussed.

AbstractNewspapers remain as an effective medium for circulating information among the public in the North of Sri Lanka and have the potential to influence public opinion and people's behavior regarding sustainable use of groundwater. This study investigated the extent and scope of newspaper coverage on the subject of water security in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Three newspapers, namely, Yarl Thinakkural, Uthayan, and Valampuri were chosen on the basis of readership, circulation in print form, and for being daily local or regional papers in Tamil. The content analysis of 1214 articles published in 2019 and 2020 in the three papers indicated that as much as 80% of space in the papers was allocated to reporting general news items and events in the community related to new water projects, rain and floods or drought events and announcements of allocation of irrigation water for farming. Only 20% of newspaper space was taken up by non‐news articles including advertisements related to water. We conclude by saying that the effect of these newspapers on their audiences would merely be to inform rather than to set agendas or frame the discourse in society, let alone persuade readers enough to make changes. The study revealed the significant potential that exists for newspapers to shift their culture of simply reporting of facts in a dispassionate way to one of environmental journalism with a degree of advocacy in view of the critical nature of the security of groundwater in the Northern Province.

AbstractGroundwater contamination derived from human activities including farming is a serious problem threatening water security in the Northern Province (NP) of Sri Lanka. Gathering all existing research knowledge on the province's water resource base to create a digital repository is a key action in the 3‐year action research project on water security. Papers gathered in the repository showed that water quality, particularly salinity in groundwater and its contamination, was a prominent theme in research over the past two decades. Thus, the scope of this bibliometric study is restricted to published work on water quality pertaining to the North during 1969–2021. Publications listed in four electronic databases, namely, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar yielded 118 scholarly publications. This paper provides an overview of the publication types and distribution, titles of journals and conferences, authorship, institutions, countries, themes, and keywords used. Final 20 years of study period saw a substantial growth in publication rate of water quality papers in the NP with journal articles and conference papers being the dominant types at 63% and 35%, respectively. Authors from 52 different institutions contributed to production of these publications, 93% of whom represented public sector institutions in Sri Lanka. University of Jaffna was in the lead position in numeric terms (n = 82), followed by the University of Peradeniya (n = 28). A significant 81% of the papers accounted for studies on water contamination, some indication of the degree of concern for this aspect among the research community. Around 65% of papers have been published in a wide range of international journals, some of which are less well established. This tendency has implications for the scientific output in terms of its quality, peer review process, and in turn also for usefulness of the work in the local context and in policy making.

AbstractGroundwater is a vital resource under threat in island communities. Karainagar, a 22 km2island, is one of seven islands off the coast of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka, with its population of just about 11,000 persons, experiences seasonal water shortage, and salinity in groundwater as twin threats impacting on their lives. This paper reports on a 3‐year study (October 2019 to September 2022) to map groundwater dynamics of Karainagar island spatially and seasonally and discusses the patterns revealed in terms of community needs, policy implications, and governance ideas that could already be considered by relevant authorities and citizens jointly. Thirty‐six dug wells used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and public purposes were selected, and water level, salinity, and pH changes recorded along with daily rainfall. This paper offers a thorough description of the geography, land use, distribution of wells, and water bodies, followed by discussion of the current status of the groundwater in Karainagar island. Year‐to‐year differences in rainfall pattern resulted in different rates of change and range in water level with a corresponding reverse pattern seen in salinity with some exceptions across the island. Cumulative rainfall required to reach full capacity of wells ranged from 652 to 892 mm over the 3 years with an average figure of 739 mm of rain. This implies that any further rainfall during early phase of the main rainy season is potential surface water for storage and runoff. Practices such as unregulated pumping and construction of tube wells are argued to be contributing to increase in salinity levels with health implications for residents. A participatory governance approach that overcomes limitations of the existing institutional approach is proposed. Its success based on broad stakeholder engagement, improved equity, and transparency when supported by adequate policies and village level aquifer monitoring will enable sustainability of groundwater resources in Karainagar.

Thinking systems are a holistic method, included in the set of methods known as soft systems. The concepts of conservation and natural resource management and community life, become a dilemma of difficult conciliation in reality. Currently, it is necessary to deal with complex and dynamic situations in the daily agricultural and natural resource management and environment. The direct beneficiaries are residents and owners of protected areas; indirect external actors represented by organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including institutions of higher education and research. Using soft systems and thinking systems, experiential learning and Kolb cycle as well as mind maps, rich picture and various participatory tools, we began a process in Zapatera Island, to generate an exchange of views and opinions and a platform for communication and interaction that brings the common positions of the different actors and enable progress towards updating and joint identification of a comprehensive management and consensual plan for the protected area, Zapatera Island Archipelago National Park. The results are flattering in the sense that they were able to establish such a platform and the degree of communication and exchange, is key in achieving advantageous positions for different actors especially the inhabitants of the archipelago. Coordinate UNA and SLU, supported by MARENA, and other NGOs and GOs. ; El pensamiento sistémico es un método holístico, incluido en el conjunto de métodos conocidos como sistemas blandos. Los conceptos de conservación y manejo de los recursos naturales y vida comunitaria, se convierten en un dilema de difícil concertación en la realidad. Actualmente, es necesario encarar situaciones complejas y dinámicas en el quehacer agropecuario y el manejo de los recursos naturales y el ambiente. Los beneficiarios directos son pobladores y propietarios de áreas protegidas; indirectos, actores externos representados por organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, incluyendo centros de educación superior e investigación. Utilizando sistemas blandos y pensamiento sistémico, aprendizaje experiencial y ciclo de Kolb, así como mapas mentales, imagen enriquecida y diferentes herramientas participativas, se inició un proceso en la Isla Zapatera, para generar un intercambio de visiones y pareceres y una plataforma de comunicación e interacción que acerque las posiciones comunes de los diferentes actores y permita avanzar hacia la actualización y definición conjunta de un plan de manejo integral y consensuado del área protegida, Parque Nacional Archipiélago Isla Zapatera. Los resultados son halagadores en el sentido de que se logró establecer tal plataforma, y el grado de comunicación e intercambio, es clave en el logro de posiciones ventajosas para los diferentes actores, especialmente a los habitantes del Archipiélago. Este trabajo fur coordinado por la Universidad Nacional Agraria (Nicaragua) y la Universidad Agrícola de Suecia, apoyados por el Ministerio de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente, y otros organismos gubernamentales y no gubernamentales.

Thinking systems are a holistic method, included in the set of methods known as soft systems. The concepts of conservation and natural resource management and community life, become a dilemma of difficult conciliation in reality. Currently, it is necessary to deal with complex and dynamic situations in the daily agricultural and natural resource management and environment. The direct beneficiaries are residents and owners of protected areas; indirect external actors represented by organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including institutions of higher education and research. Using soft systems and thinking systems, experiential learning and Kolb cycle as well as mind maps, rich picture and various participatory tools, we began a process in Zapatera Island, to generate an exchange of views and opinions and a platform for communication and interaction that brings the common positions of the different actors and enable progress towards updating and joint identification of a comprehensive management and consensual plan for the protected area, Zapatera Island Archipelago National Park. The results are flattering in the sense that they were able to establish such a platform and the degree of communication and exchange, is key in achieving advantageous positions for different actors especially the inhabitants of the archipelago. Coordinate UNA and SLU, supported by MARENA, and other NGOs and GOs. ; El pensamiento sistémico es un método holístico, incluido en el conjunto de métodos conocidos como sistemas blandos. Los conceptos de conservación y manejo de los recursos naturales y vida comunitaria, se convierten en un dilema de difícil concertación en la realidad. Actualmente, es necesario encarar situaciones complejas y dinámicas en el quehacer agropecuario y el manejo de los recursos naturales y el ambiente. Los beneficiarios directos son pobladores y propietarios de áreas protegidas; indirectos, actores externos representados por organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, incluyendo centros de educación superior e investigación. Utilizando sistemas blandos y pensamiento sistémico, aprendizaje experiencial y ciclo de Kolb, así como mapas mentales, imagen enriquecida y diferentes herramientas participativas, se inició un proceso en la Isla Zapatera, para generar un intercambio de visiones y pareceres y una plataforma de comunicación e interacción que acerque las posiciones comunes de los diferentes actores y permita avanzar hacia la actualización y definición conjunta de un plan de manejo integral y consensuado del área protegida, Parque Nacional Archipiélago Isla Zapatera. Los resultados son halagadores en el sentido de que se logró establecer tal plataforma, y el grado de comunicación e intercambio, es clave en el logro de posiciones ventajosas para los diferentes actores, especialmente a los habitantes del Archipiélago. Este trabajo fur coordinado por la Universidad Nacional Agraria (Nicaragua) y la Universidad Agrícola de Suecia, apoyados por el Ministerio de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente, y otros organismos gubernamentales y no gubernamentales.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Tables, Figures, and Photos -- Preface -- Editors' Introduction: Why Action Research for Democracy? -- PART I Renewal of Working Life and Welfare Institutions Through Democratisation: Openings Created by Action Research and Interactive Research -- 1 Interactive Research: A Joint Learning Process with the Unions -- 2 Design as a Democratic Process-and Implications for Innovation -- 3 Democratising Innovation Policy with Gender-Scientific Participatory Research -- 4 Empowering Dialogues: A Way to Democratise Knowledge Production? -- 5 New Forms of Public Participation: The Festival of Difference as Action Research on the Road to a More Inclusive Labour Market -- 6 Redefining Democratic Welfare-Openings and Future Orientations: Action Research in Danish Day Care Centres -- 7 Action Research with Teachers: Action and Critique in a Project on Multicultural Education -- 8 Educational Action Research and the Development of Professional Teacher Knowledge -- PART II Action Research: Rethinking the Societal Role of Science: Democratisation, Sustainability and Historical Experience -- 9 Can Action Research Strengthen Democratic Dimensions in Gender Mainstreaming Processes? -- 10 Organising Research Institutions Through Action Research -- 11 Towards Democratic Scientific Inquiry? Participatory Democracy, Philosophy of Science and the Future of Action Research -- 12 Artistic Sense in Action Research -- Postscript -- Contributor Biographies -- Index.