Publications and Activities
POLICY BRIEF: "Co-Designing for Actionable and Accountable Data in the Tonle Sap Basin, Cambodia"
Additional materials
Full research report available on request.
Contact
Mech Srey Lakh (Oxfam Mekong Water Governance Program) and Dr. Carl Middleton (Chulalongkorn University) for further details.
Project Status: Complete
In the Mekong basin, intergovernmental water data sharing about the Mekong River has expanded since the early 1990s. Much of this water data has been made public via online platforms run by regional intergovernmental organizations such as the Mekong River Commission (MRC), as well as national government agencies. The publicization of data via these platforms is intended to increase transparency and participation. However, the extent to which this data is ‘actionable’ in informing everyday decision-taking in riparian communities is less clear.
This action research project applied a design thinking process in Kampong Phluk village and Bak Prea village located in the Tonle Sap flood plains between October 2023 and August 2024. The design challenges that it identified and addressed were:
1) How might we facilitate the better circulation of valued information within the village?
2) How might we facilitate access to valued external information?
The project aimed to identify access to water data solutions that respond to community need and context, including how specific needs might vary between sub-groups within a community. It then worked with the community members to deliver these solutions
Project partners;