National or regional level initiatives intended to address water quality and quantity issues related to agriculture are typically envisioned and conducted by scientists and experts, while farmers, landowners, rural communities, and other stakeholders often play less central roles. While stakeholder engagement is increasingly seen as a critical strategy to address complex natural resource issues, research on what behavioral and management changes are attained through the process of engagement, and which strategies are most effective is limited. Designed to address these critical needs, our project seeks to better understand how stakeholders are and can be more effectively engaged in the decisions and programs that affect water quality and quantity for and from agriculture.
A key deliverable of the project is the development of a proven, flexible, and transferable approach to stakeholder engagement for addressing critical issues at the nexus of water and agriculture.