| Abstract: | Summary The Panama Canal is inextricably linked to the Watershed which contains it. Effective policy is critical to manage this resource efficiently. Currently, a myriad of divisions along socio-political, organizational and technical lines are hindering integration of practical knowledge and policy experience. This lack of integration is resulting in inefficient management of the natural resources of the Panama Canal Watershed. This paper will rely on the policy sciences framework to describe, analyze and address this problem. It will begin by highlighting important organizations and their efforts in the Panama Canal Watershed, to understand the social context. Next, the trends and conditions which have shaped the problem will be described, to provide a historical context and help make projections for the future. Finally, alternatives will be presented to address the problem. Some of these options include: prototyping exercises to build practice-based experience, workshops designed to teach integration skills and to provide a common experience base for the participants, and an information coordinator to equalize the flow of information between organizations. |
