Reviewing the evidence on riparian community engagement: A conceptual framework of community-based river management

Background

Community engagement is crucial for integrated and adaptive river management but an organized body of knowledge to systematically promote community engagement is still lacking.

Objectives

To provide a conceptual framework of community-based river management, and to identify and synthesize evidence that describes pathways conducive to community engagement.

Methods

We carried out a systematic review of empirical evidence on community engagement in river management published from January 2000 to May 2021. By means of iterative categorization, we described three variables across all case studies: governance context, values of mobilization and pathways to engagement. A conceptual framework of community-based river management was drawn up and evidence of each pathway synthetized.

Results

Of 153 records, 51 were eligible. Three types of governance context were observed: top-down, bottom-up and hybrid. Environmental, economic, safety, scenic, cultural and social values were found to bring people together for action. Community mobilization was mostly driven by multiple values, with a prevailing perception of the river as a complex eco-social system. Seven pathways to community engagement were identified: assessing community perception, knowledge co-production, community science, common vision building, environmental education, community-based groups and pro-environmental action. We proposed a novel conceptual framework that visually represents community-based river management, informed by the interplay between values, governance and these pathways.

Conclusion

Disregarding location and scale, community-based river management is multi-faceted and dynamic. Our conceptual framework provides a baseline for systematically engaging local communities in the different stages of river management, including diagnosis and monitoring, decision-making and implementation.