A framework for co-developing conservation research projects with stakeholders: A Lake Victoria case study

摘要

Stakeholder engagement has increasingly gained popularity in conservation researchsince it promotes relevant research that has impact and can inform evidence-basedpolicy. Lake basins can especially benefit from research co-created with stakeholderssince these regions tend to face a multitude of conservation challenges while alsodealing with many stakeholders that are directly dependent on a lake's resources.Particularly important for successful, co-created research is the first phase of stakeholderengagement, namely the co-development of the research agenda with stakeholders.This phase tends to determine whether or not projects will be funded andimplemented, therefore providing a foundation for subsequent realization of a project,as well as the impact of the research findings. The present study provides aframework for the application of stakeholder engagement in co-developing a researchagenda, as illustrated through a case study on Lake Victoria in East Africa, concludingwith key lessons learned from this case study.