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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: PROJECT PRESENTATION
1.1. Project justification.
In the actual paradigm of sustainable development, the linkage between natural resources and their use by the society is re-questioned. Nature is not seen anymore as objects’
collections whose definitions are stated by scientists, but as complex socio-ecological systems SES identified by the society. It has been recognized that its definition is highly
variable and depends of individual representations. It leads to the existence of several ‘natures’ and both practitioners as well as researchers stress the importance to implement
natural resource management collectively by incorporating views of local stakeholders. Participatory approaches have then progressively gained popularity in territory
management politics. The Companion Modeling ComMod approach relies on the use of simulation tools
to implement a participatory process. It aims at sharing representations among stakeholders and at improving their communication network, the quality of the discussion
process being judged more important that its result itself. Indeed, in referring to post- normal science, it recognizes the importance of uncertainties and stochastic events which,
in addition to the complexity of human behaviours, challenges the relevance of designing predictive expert models of SES. It is the improvement of communication between
stakeholders that is seen as the key to enhance SES resilience. ComMod is used to enforce local resource users’ self-organisation ability; and to strengthen their
collaboration with territory managers as well as with researchers Barreteau, 2003. The purpose of this work was to implement the companion modeling approach to
promote a better communication between local stakeholders of the blue swimming crab BSC fishery of Kung Krabaen Bay KKB, in Thailand. It came out from a common
interest of two students for this approach. Ecologist by training and always interested by communication sciences, I was eager to discover this approach by its practice and to
contribute to the reflexive analysis of its actors’ inter-relations. Miss Chutapa Kunsook, PhD student of Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok, gave us the opportunity to
implement a ComMod process in her study field. Indeed, involved since 2005 in the study of this crab fishery, she could highlight from one hand its biological specificities
and from the other hand its social segregation leading to its difficult management.
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1.2. Project objectives.
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