Abstract

Water allocation during droughts is a challenge for policymakers, often addressed through participatory approaches. The implications of this governance mode are understudied as long-term records of the decision-making processes are often unavailable. We use natural language processing (NLP) and network analysis to extract information on water allocation decisions and climate-related issues from meeting minutes of river basin stakeholders. To test this approach, we considered the minutes of 1100 meetings held between 1997 and 2021 in the twelve basin committees of Ceará, Brazil. This region has a long history of droughts, which have strongly influenced water policies and politics. The river basin committee is currently composed of representatives of governmental and non-governmental institutions and deliberates on the water management process. To identify conflicts and relevant issues discussed …

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