|
|
|
|
Subject: New Master's Thesis
From: Christophe Le Page (christophe.le_page@cirad.fr)
Date: Fri Sep 10 2004 - 18:26:44 CEST
Dear all,
Now downlodable (pdf file) on Cormas web site
<http://cormas.cirad.fr/pdf/deaBarnaud.pdf>, the master's thesis
dissertation (in french) of Cecile Barnaud. This work is a new
experience of combined utilisation of multi-agents system and role game.
Cecile will start very soon a PhD to continue on that topic.
clp
--------
Barnaud, C. 2004. Erosion des sols et systèmes agraires dans les hautes
terres du nord de la Thaïlande. Une approche de la complexité par une
modélisation d'accompagnement. Mémoire de DEA Géographie et pratique du
développement, Ecole doctorale "Milieux, Cultures et Sociétés du Passé
et du Présent", Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon et
Université Paris X-Nanterre, France.
Abstract
========
The Thai policy of decentralization could lead to further
responsibilities of local communities for natural resource management.
But the local agricultural systems are complex. This growing complexity
has two main aspects. The first one is the multiplication of the
interacting natural and social systems dynamics (market integration,
environmental policies, etc.). The second one is related to the numerous
stakeholders involved in natural resource management that have their own
representation of the system. How could local people manage these
complex and highly uncertain systems? This thesis is an experimentation
and evaluation of the companion modelling approach, combining
multi-agent systems modelling and role play
games, in order to better understand these complex systems, and to
facilitate dialogue among its multiple stakeholders. Such an experiment
has been conducted in an Akha village of Chiang Raï province to address
the issue of soil erosion on steep lands, a key problem in Montaine
Mainland Southeast Asia (MMSEA). As suggested by the villagers, the
continuation of this experiment focused on understanding social and
economical dynamics related to soil degradation, in particular the
interactions between the investment in perennial plantations, the
various forms of credit and the off- farm activities. Because of a lack
of access to credit, very small farms cannot invest in perennial
plantations. Now, this could help them to avoid soil degradation
problems and also to secure their currently precarious socioeconomic
situation. The combined utilisation of multi-agents system and role game
supported the construction of a shared representation of the problem,
the emergence of solutions suggested by the local stakeholders and
collectively assessed.