Sociohydrological model structure deficiency assessment and hybrid model selection Dennis Djohan, Julien Malard-Adam, Soham Adla, Saket Pande Journal of Hydrology, 2026 Sociohydrology aims to deliver user-inspired solutions to water challenges, often through model-based understanding and simulation of local realities. However, sociohydrological modeling methodologies used to understand such complex human-water systems remain difficult to apply to many real-world case studies. Sociohydrological model predictions at daily to annual time scales of decision- making remain a challenge due to often difficult-to-acquire social sciences data, and missing or unknown feedbacks that lead to model structural errors, among other issues. This paper assesses and reduces model structural deficiencies of a smallholder sociohydrological (SH) model when applied to a case study of small-scale agricultural production in India, where variables from a farmer survey help alleviate structural deficiencies. A structural error model is proposed based on a regression model of nonlinear projection of the these variables to a Kernel space, called Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) based model. Based on this, a hybrid model that is a sum of the SH model and the structural error model is proposed. It offers significantly better yield predictions on ‘unseen’ (to the model) survey data than the SH only model. The hybrid model also performs better on yield prediction than a KPCA model alone, which predicts yields without any SH dynamics. This is because the hybrid model combines the structural error model that learns from the spatial pattern of observed yields with the temporal dynamics explained by the SH model alone. The results indicate that the structure of the SH model can be improved by further incorporation of irrigation and adaptive behaviour of farmers.
User interface design principles for peer-to-peer distributed databases for ecological citizen science projects Julien Jean Malard-Adam, Wietske Medema, Nallusamy Anandaraja, Joel Harms, Johanna Dipple,, Palanivelan Jaisridhar Web Ecology, 2025 Citizen science, where participants from outside of academia contribute to data collection or analysis, is an important approach in ecological studies that can significantly improve both modelling outcomes and community participation. However, all ecological citizen science platforms developed to date rely on centralised server architecture for data storage and communication with citizen scientists, which can lead to unsustainable server maintenance costs for project managers as well as data sovereignty issues for the concerned communities, thereby endangering project resilience and sustainability after the end of a funded project. Distributed databases, which rely on peer-to-peer technology to store and share data, can address these concerns, but they are complex and conceptually different from centralised systems. As such, their use involves a very steep learning curve that hinders their adoption by citizen science practitioners in ecology, where neither project leaders nor end users are experts in peer-to-peer technologies. In this article, the authors use formal and open-ended feedback from workshops with academics to discuss how well-planned user interface design can be used to facilitate the adoption of peer-to-peer distributed databases in citizen science and provide generalisable key recommendations for the implementation of user interfaces in citizen science applications. In particular, we discuss several key conceptual differences between centralised and distributed applications, such as key-pair authentication and eventual consistency, that must be efficiently and visually communicated to end users. While there is extremely limited literature available on user interface design for distributed systems (and none so far in the ecological field), we find that lessons learned from other fields transfer well to the field of ecological citizen science, that well-designed user interfaces are key to the adoption of new technologies, and that simplicity and efficiency in interface design are more important than showing average users the details of how the underlying technology works. We propose these recommendations as a blueprint for future research and development of citizen science applications based on peer-to-peer distributed database technologies.
Assessment of permaculture integration into gray and mainstream scientific literature in four languages. A review Roberto Carlos Forte Taylor, Osborne Grant Clark, Julien Jean Malard-Adam Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2025 Permaculture, often described as a grassroots movement, philosophy, or set of progressive agricultural practices, is considered to have significant potential to revitalize degraded land, improve the robustness of ecosystems, reduce energy consumption, and lower operating costs while effectively sequestering carbon. Despite its growing international popularity and practical benefits, the term permaculture remains notably isolated from mainstream scientific discourse, limiting its broader integration and impact. Literature reviews on this versatile set of agricultural practices are uncommon, and this isolation from established scientific literature significantly hampers the potential of permaculture to influence and transform contemporary agricultural systems toward enhanced sustainability. Addressing this gap, this study compiles the most comprehensive collection of white and gray literature related to permaculture to date, analyzing 975 publications across four languages—English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French—through bibliometric analysis, qualitative content analysis, H-index, and citation counts. The findings reveal that permaculture retains a dynamic presence within academic discussions, being increasingly associated with critical concepts such as design, agriculture, and ecology. Notably, the use of permaculture in peer-reviewed technical publications has surged, particularly in recent study periods, marking a significant shift towards recognizing its value in mainstream scientific literature. This review aims to: Gather white and gray literature related to the term permaculture across four languages. Identify terms most commonly associated with permaculture using computational tools. Describe the evolution of the term permaculture over time. Examine whether the term permaculture is predominantly associated with philosophical or scientific perspectives in peer-reviewed literature. Assess the increasing recognition of permaculture as a topic of interest in English peer-reviewed literature.
A qualitative framework to identify variables influencing ecological sustainability in tropical small-scale agriculture Roberto Carlos Forte Taylor, Osborne Grant Clark, Julien Jean Malard-Adam Environmental Development, 2025 Small-scale agriculture continues to be the sector with the largest number of food-producing farms worldwide. According to literature, this sector is highly diverse, not highly mechanized, and has low environmental impact. As a result, smallholders play a crucial role in ensuring food security and sustainability. Despite their small scale, these systems must be evaluated and compared based on a wide variety of factors influenced by their specific contexts. Environmental conditions, personal preferences, economic constraints, government regulations, and social norms all contribute to these contexts. A comparison of the ecological sustainability of agricultural systems has shown potential, but is often hindered by substantial limitations. Many of these approaches fail to engage stakeholders comprehensively and elucidate the intricate structures, components, and feedback mechanisms of agricultural ecosystems. Incomplete portrayals of these systems' complex interdependencies lead to inaccurate sustainability assessments. A novel method for analyzing and comparing the ecological sustainability of small farming systems in the tropics is presented using semi-structured interviews, content analysis, and causal loop diagrams. Using interviews, we identified key drivers and challenges in the development of these systems. Through causal loop diagrams, we visualized each system and identified its feedback loops. Several important conclusions have been drawn from the study of these systems in Mariato, Panama: 1.Ecological sustainability is driven by production, regenerative practices, and soil quality 2.Subsistence and respect for nature motivated the farmers 3.Degradation of soil and extreme dry seasons were major challenges 4.All three system types that were compared tended towards equilibrium • A bottom-up approach was used to develop conceptual models for small-scale farming systems in the tropics. • Causal loop diagrams illustrated the interactions between variables affecting the ecological sustainability of agricultural systems. • The methodology identified significant barriers and drivers impacting sustainability. • The methodology was tested for small farms located in Mariato, Panama. • The methodology facilitated the creation of conceptual models representing the shared vision of the stakeholders.
The role of communities in integrated water resource management Wietske Medema, Johanna Dipple, Julien Malard-Adam Handbook on the Governance and Politics of Water Resources, 2024 Since its first applications in river valleys in the 1930s, integrated water resources management (IWRM) has become a widely applicable holistic approach for water governance, resting on the key balance of economic, environmental and social aspects. This chapter discusses the history and key components of IWRM. Stakeholder engagement, one such key component, is an ambitious endeavour that requires special consideration to ensure that engagement is equitable and adapted to local contexts. Accordingly, participatory coupled human-water systems modelling and game-based approaches can engage stakeholders’ knowledge to create shared representations of reality. Citizen science and distributed databases also offer opportunities for more direct and sovereign involvement of communities in the IWRM process. Overall, this chapter explores the potential of IWRM to expand collaborative governance in water management strategies, providing an overview of innovative and emerging ideas and tools in this space to be used as a starting point for those interested in exploring different ways of engaging and empowering local communities through resource management.
Dynamically coupling system dynamics and SWAT+ models using Tinamït: Application of modular tools for coupled human-water system models Joel Z. Harms, Julien J. Malard-Adam, Jan F. Adamowski, Ashutosh Sharma, Albert Nkwasa Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2023 Participatory water resource management requires modeling techniques that are accurate and flexible yet stakeholder-friendly. While different modeling frameworks offer advantages and disadvantages, system dynamics (SDs) models have seen sustained use as a stakeholder-friendly approach for participatory water resource modeling. Physically based models (e.g., SWAT+) have seen sustained use to model the hydrological components of water systems. Proposed as a way to combine the relative strengths of both modeling paradigms, model coupling allows researchers to, for example, build participatory SD models with stakeholders, while delegating the hydrological components of the overall model to an external hydrological model. Recently developed to facilitate model coupling, the Tinamït Python package presents an extensible, outward-facing application programming interface (API). It allows for the development of extensions (wrappers) that expand compatibility with different physically based models. However, no watershed hydrological model has yet been connected to this API. In the present study, a socket and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)-based communication protocol was developed with the goal of facilitating the coupling of models written in languages such as Fortran. This novel protocol served to develop a Tinamït-compatible wrapper for the hydrological model SWAT+, allowing it to be coupled to human–water SD models. The novel coupling protocol was then applied to a case study of Tanzania's Usa river catchment. This approach provides the modeler with the benefits of both physically based and SD models, thereby allowing the detection of potentially far-reaching effects of policy-makers' decisions.
Multi-level storylines for participatory modeling - Involving marginalized communities in Tz'olöj Ya', Mayan Guatemala Jessica A. Bou Nassar, Julien J. Malard, Jan F. Adamowski, Marco Ramírez Ramírez, Wietske Medema, Héctor Tuy Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2021 Unconventional sources of data that enhance our understanding of internal interactions between socio-economic and hydrological processes are central to modeling human–water systems. Participatory modeling (PM) departs from conventional modeling tools by informing and conceptualizing human–water systems through stakeholder engagement. However, the implementation of many PM processes remains biased, particularly in regions where marginalized communities are present. Many PM processes are not cognizant of differentiation and diversity within a society and tend to treat communities as homogeneous units with similar capabilities, needs, and interests. This undifferentiation leads to the exclusion of key actors, many of whom are associated with marginalized communities. In this study, a participatory model-building framework (PMBF), aiming to ensure the inclusiveness of marginalized stakeholders – who (1) have low literacy, (2) are comparatively powerless, and/or (3) are associated with a marginalized language – in participatory modeling, is proposed. The adopted approach employs interdisciplinary storylines to inform and conceptualize human–water systems. The suggested method is underpinned by the multi-level perspective (MLP) framework, which was developed by Geels et al. (2002) to conceptualize socio-technical transitions and modified in this study to accommodate the development of interdisciplinary storylines. A case study was conducted in Atitlán Basin, Guatemala, to understand the relationships that govern the lake's cultural eutrophication problem. This research integrated key stakeholders from the Indigenous Mayan community, associated with diverse literacy ranges, and emerging from three different marginalized linguistic backgrounds (Kaqchikel, Tz'utujil, and K'iche'), in the PM activity. The proposed approach facilitated the participation of marginalized stakeholders. Moreover, it (1) helped develop an understanding of mechanisms governing the eutrophication of the lake, (2) initiated a dialogue between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous stakeholders, and (3) extracted potential solutions targeting the system's leverage points. The participatory model-building activity generated three submodules: (1) agriculture, (2) tourism, and (3) environmental awareness. Each submodule contained socioculturally specific mechanisms associated with nutrient discharge to Lake Atitlán. The delineation of such nuanced relationships helps develop well-targeted policies and best management practices (BMPs). Additionally, the suggested process helped decrease the impact of power imbalances in water resources management and empowered community-based decision-making.
Quantifying the transient shock response of dynamic agroecosystem variables for improved socio-environmental resilience Jordan M. Carper, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Jan F. Adamowski, Azhar Inam, Julien J. Malard Ecology and Society, 2021 In classic resilience thinking, there is an implicit focus on controlling functional variation to maintain system stability. Modern approaches to resilience thinking deal with complex, adaptive system dynamics and true uncertainty; these contemporary frameworks involve the process of learning to live with change and make use of the consequences of transformation and development. In a socio-environmental context, the identification of metrics by which resilience can be effectively and reliably measured is fundamental to understanding the unique vulnerabilities that characterize coupled human and natural systems. We developed an innovative procedure for stakeholder-friendly quantification of socio-environmental resilience metrics. These metrics were calculated and analyzed through the application of discrete disturbance simulations, which were produced using a dynamically coupled, biophysical-socioeconomic modeling framework. Following the development of a unique shock-response assessment regime, five metrics (time to baseline-level recovery, rate of return to baseline, degree of return to baseline, overall post-disturbance perturbation, and corrective impact of disturbance) describing distinct aspects of systemic resilience were quantified for three agroecosystem variables (farm income, watertable depth, and crop revenue) over a period of 30 years (1989–2019) in the Rechna Doab basin of northeastern Pakistan. Using this procedure, we determined that farm income is the least resilient variable of the three tested. Farm income was easily diverted from the “normal” functional paradigm for the Rechna Doab socio-environmental system, regardless of shock type, intensity, or duration combination. Crop revenue was the least stable variable (i.e., outputs fluctuated significantly between very high and very low values). Water-table depth was consistently the most robust and resistant to change, even under physical shock conditions. The procedure developed here should improve the ease with which stakeholders are able to conduct quantitative resilience analyses.
Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH)–a community perspective Günter Blöschl, Marc F.P. Bierkens, Antonio Chambel, Christophe Cudennec, Georgia Destouni, Aldo Fiori, James W. Kirchner, Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Hubert H.G. Savenije, Murugesu Sivapalan, Christine Stumpp, Elena Toth, Elena Volpi, Gemma Carr, Claire Lupton, Josè Salinas, Borbála Széles, Alberto Viglione, Hafzullah Aksoy, Scott T. Allen, Anam Amin, Vazken Andréassian, Berit Arheimer, Santosh K. Aryal, Victor Baker, Earl Bardsley, Marlies H. Barendrecht, Alena Bartosova, Okke Batelaan, Wouter R. Berghuijs, Keith Beven, Theresa Blume, Thom Bogaard, Pablo Borges de Amorim, Michael E. Böttcher, Gilles Boulet, Korbinian Breinl, Mitja Brilly, Luca Brocca, Wouter Buytaert, Attilio Castellarin, Andrea Castelletti, Xiaohong Chen, Yangbo Chen, Yuanfang Chen, Peter Chifflard, Pierluigi Claps, Martyn P. Clark, Adrian L. Collins, Barry Croke, Annette Dathe, Paula C. David, Felipe P. J. de Barros, Gerrit de Rooij, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Jessica M. Driscoll, Doris Duethmann, Ravindra Dwivedi, Ebru Eris, William H. Farmer, James Feiccabrino, Grant Ferguson, Ennio Ferrari, Stefano Ferraris, Benjamin Fersch, David Finger, Laura Foglia, Keirnan Fowler, Boris Gartsman, Simon Gascoin, Eric Gaume, Alexander Gelfan, Josie Geris, Shervan Gharari, Tom Gleeson, Miriam Glendell, Alena Gonzalez Bevacqua, María P. González-Dugo, Salvatore Grimaldi, A. B. Gupta, Björn Guse, Dawei Han, David Hannah, Adrian Harpold, Stefan Haun, Kate Heal, Kay Helfricht, Mathew Herrnegger, Matthew Hipsey, Hana Hlaváčiková, Clara Hohmann, Ladislav Holko, Christopher Hopkinson, Markus Hrachowitz, Tissa H. Illangasekare, Azhar Inam, Camyla Innocente, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Ben Jarihani, Zahra Kalantari, Andis Kalvans, Sonu Khanal, Sina Khatami, Jens Kiesel, Mike Kirkby, Wouter Knoben, Krzysztof Kochanek, Silvia Kohnová, Alla Kolechkina, Stefan Krause, David Kreamer, Heidi Kreibich, Harald Kunstmann, Holger Lange, Margarida L. R. Liberato, Eric Lindquist, Timothy Link, Junguo Liu, Daniel Peter Loucks, Charles Luce, Gil Mahé, Olga Makarieva, Julien Malard, Shamshagul Mashtayeva, Shreedhar Maskey, Josep Mas-Pla, Maria Mavrova-Guirguinova, Maurizio Mazzoleni, Sebastian Mernild, Bruce Dudley Misstear, Alberto Montanari, Hannes Müller-Thomy, Alireza Nabizadeh, Fernando Nardi, Christopher Neale, Nataliia Nesterova, Bakhram Nurtaev, Vincent O. Odongo, Subhabrata Panda, Saket Pande, Zhonghe Pang, Georgia Papacharalampous, Charles Perrin, Laurent Pfister, Rafael Pimentel, María J. Polo, David Post, Cristina Prieto Sierra, Maria-Helena Ramos, Maik Renner, José Eduardo Reynolds, Elena Ridolfi, Riccardo Rigon, Monica Riva, David E. Robertson, Renzo Rosso, Tirthankar Roy, João H.M. Sá, Gianfausto Salvadori, Mel Sandells, Bettina Schaefli, Andreas Schumann, Anna Scolobig, Jan Seibert, Eric Servat, Mojtaba Shafiei, Ashish Sharma, Moussa Sidibe, Roy C. Sidle, Thomas Skaugen, Hugh Smith, Sabine M. Spiessl, Lina Stein, Ingelin Steinsland, Ulrich Strasser, Bob Su, Jan Szolgay, David Tarboton, Flavia Tauro, Guillaume Thirel, Fuqiang Tian, Rui Tong, Kamshat Tussupova, Hristos Tyralis, Remko Uijlenhoet, Rens van Beek, Ruud J. van der Ent, Martine van der Ploeg, Anne F. Van Loon, Ilja van Meerveld, Ronald van Nooijen, Pieter R. van Oel, Jean-Philippe Vidal, Jana von Freyberg, Sergiy Vorogushyn, Przemyslaw Wachniew, Andrew J. Wade, Philip Ward, Ida K. Westerberg, Christopher White, Eric F. Wood, Ross Woods, Zongxue Xu, Koray K. Yilmaz, Yongqiang Zhang Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2019
Soil fragmentation produced by soil cutting as influenced by various moisture contents near the soil’s sticky limit Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 2016
Participatory agroecological network modeling I: Qualitatively combining community and research knowledge American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2015, 2015
Use of participatory system dynamics modelling to assess the sustainability of smallholder agriculture American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2015, 2015
