Use of decision support systems to improve dam planning and dam ...

water management alternatives, attempts to address socioeconomic effects have been insufficient.” He
emphasized the need for greater use of socioeconomic indicators to: a) clarify socioeconomic goals and
objectives, b) assist in the evaluation of trade-offs arising from different operating systems, and c) facilitate
stakeholder involvement in decision making through negotiation.
These constraints undermine the effectiveness of DSSs, people and institutions and constitute a major
challenge throughout much of the continent. Hence, although the need to move beyond determining
immediate physical targets (e.g., volumes of water for irrigation or units of power) to consider far-reaching
impacts on ecosystems and livelihoods is now broadly recognized, it is not widely applied. Many of the
DSSs developed in the past have ended up neither providing the information really required nor being fully
accepted by planners and managers. Often, very sophisticated models are developed, but they are rarely
trusted and, very often, they are not used as envisaged to assist in decision making.
5.3 The way forward
Overcoming these constraints, so that DSSs can be more successfully used, requires changes that affect
decision making throughout water resources planning. Across much of sub-Saharan Africa this is now widely
recognized. Increasingly, governments are developing policies and strategies that promote Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM). In comparison to the past, this approach focuses more on environmental
and social impacts and brings issues of equity to the fore. However, there is a long way to go from the
development of such policies to their successful implementation.
The following are suggestions to enhance the application of DSSs to planning and operation of dams, and
hence to contribute to IWRM, in Africa:
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• Invest in data collection, capacity-building and research. Good information and analyses are
essential for effective planning and operation of large dams. Currently, throughout most of Africa,
insufficient knowledge and analytical capacity are critical impediments to identification and holistic
planning of large dams. Data collection and monitoring systems need to be significantly enhanced,
and much more research is needed into the interlinkages between the environmental and social
impacts of dams.
• DSSs need to be usable and developed collaboratively. For DSSs to be used users must be
confident in the outputs, which must provide readily understood information, address the range
of stakeholder concerns and provide them in a timely fashion. Hence, the capacity to use DSSs
and interpret the information they provide must be built locally and sustained over time. Simple
transfer of technology and/or knowledge from elsewhere is generally inappropriate. Those who use
DSSs must be involved in all aspects of their design, development and implementation.
• DSSs need to based on participatory inputs from a range of stakeholders. It is essential that DSSs
are developed within a fully participatory environment in which all stakeholders can contribute
and which take into account their views and expectations. By facilitating communication between
different stakeholders DSSs can improve relationships and make decision making processes more
rational and more easily justified, defended and understood.
• Examples of effective and innovative DSSs need to be better shared. There is need to enhance the
sharing of innovative approaches and practical experience in the use of DSSs in Africa. Examples
of implementation, including assessment of outcomes and the value of any DSSs to the decision
making process, are required to improve practices and make implementation more effective.
Currently, beyond a few project reports, there is almost no critical evaluation of the application of