Modelling the links between irrigation, ecosystem services and rural development in pursuit of social legitimacy: Results from a territorial analysis of the Neste System (Hautes-Pyrénées, France)

Concerns about water scarcity and management have focused attention on the relationship between agriculture and other competing water uses. This research aims to evaluate the perceptions of and preferences for irrigation use and management in a rural area, and it does so through an analysis of stakeholder attitudes in a large irrigation system in Southern France: the Neste System. The stakeholder analysis approach and the governance model approach are applied in combination with a new form of graphical representation to evaluate the conflicting points of view between stakeholder's profiles, which are called TIMA. Results revealed that there are heterogeneities between the preferences of stakeholder groups regarding water resources management, agricultural practices, and irrigation challenges. Qualitative and graphical results highlight the competing topics, the stakeholder relationships and the ability to secure permanent agreements by promoting participatory development and good governance. These results can be used by the relevant authorities to customize their interventions, knowing beforehand and in a well-structured form which are the different stakeholders' priorities. In this way, more effective avenues of communication can be established in the decision-making processes regarding irrigation challenges.