Linking research and action

Aquatic resource ecology aims to provide a scientific underpinning for the better management, development and conservation of living aquatic resources. Many of our projects integrate ecological research with direct participation in resource management initiatives and policy processes. We do this for example through:       Involving stakeholders in research. Many of our projects involve key stakeholders at all stages of research. This helps to ensure that our research is relevant to their needs, and that results are translated into appropriate management action. Our Darwin project in the Amazon has involved  commercial and subsistence-oriented fishers, managers and scientists in an evaluation of the impacts of co-management agreements. In Sri Lanka, we have brought together reservoir fishers, farmers, and irrigation authorities to consider interactions between irrigation water management and fisheries.     Management experiments. Management experiments can be a very effective way of evaluating alternative management practices. They also allow us to study ecological processes on larger spatial and temporal scales than is possible in conventional lab or field experiments. We have used passive and active experiments involving up to 60 independent sites to assess the effectiveness of fisheries co-management in Amazon floodplain lakes, and impacts of fisheries enhancements and irrigation development on aquatic resources in Laos.               Promoting uptake of research outputs. We promote uptake of research by policy makers, managers and resource users through a variety of means. This has included policy briefs, a manual to guide assessments of irrigation impacts on fisheries, and extension materials to disseminate results to resource users. We have also developed a software package to make quantitative assessment tools for fisheries enhancements available to a wider group of managers.       Documenting and valuing aquatic resource use. Aquatic resources and those who use them are often invisible to policy makers. Documenting and valuing aquatic resources and their role in livelihoods is a crucial first step towards improved management. We have carried out extensive surveys on aquatic resource use in inland areas of South and Southeast Asia, and in the Brazilian Amazon.