Collaborative modeling to co-produce risk analysis with stakeholders

A unique ecosystem scattered along the main rivers and their tributaries in the Northeast of Thailand is the seasonal flooded forest. With special characteristics of large floodplain where water inundated from the river extensively covers the area for a certain time of a year, this forest serves as a main source of free food access for the communities nearby. The study site is occupied by rainfed rice production under erratic rainfall condition. Farmers produce rice for family consumption and sale with additional household income generating from selling natural products harvested from the seasonal flooded forests. Research team and participating farmers co-designed and develop a Role Playing Game (RPG) and an Agent-Based Model (ABM) for social validation. The participants concluded that they could not use the ABM without playing RPG. The series of participatory workshops using RPG and ABM raised their awareness about the importance of their seasonal flooded forest, and encouraged them to think of ways to conserve this valuable forest in order to secure food at community level.