Searching for the right problem - a case study in water management on the relation between information and decision making

The solution of complex, unstructured problems in integrated water management is faced with policy controversy and dispute, unused and misused knowledge, project delay and failure, and decline of public trust in governmental decisions. Concept mapping is a technique to analyse these difficulties on a fundamental cognitive level, which can reveal experiences, perceptions, assumptions, knowledge and subjective beliefs of stakeholders, and can stimulate communication and learning.