Companion modelling approach for participatory land management: the case of erosive runoff in Upper Normandy

Erosive runoff is a recurring problem, and a source of sometimes lethal muddy floods in the Pays de Caux. This risk results from the combination of natural and human factors. Efficient actions against the runoff in agricultural watersheds are well known. However their implementation is still difficult. The objective of this study using the Companion Modelling approach was to create a Role Playing Game (RPG) designed to facilitate collective learning and thinking. This RPG named "CauxOpération" and created by a scientific team working closely with the local stakeholders gathers farmers, a municipality mayor and a watershed advisor. During a game session, the players were confronted with a disastrous runoff in a fictive agricultural watershed. They are supposed to meet and to negotiate in order to find solutions to reduce runoff and damage. The RPG was used twice times. The results throw light on the collective learning process and the emergence of collective thinking using the ideas and the mental-representation of each player. (Résumé d'auteur