Risks in the Making: The Mediating Role of Models in Water Management and Civil Engineering in the Netherlands

Matthijs Kouw

Zusammenfassung: Wie Risiken entstehen: Zum medialen Charakter von Modellen am Beispiel von Wasserwirtschaft und Ingenieurbau der Niederlande. Der Umgang mit Vorannahmen, Unsicherheiten und blinden Flecken gehçrt zur Praxis der Modellie- rung. Dabei wird das den Modellen inh-rente Wissen um Risiken in unterschiedlichem Maße sichtbar, was fer technologische Kulturen, die auf Modelle rekurrieren, folgenreich sein kann. Um Kollaborationen zwischen unterschiedlichen sozialen Gruppen wie Inge- nieuren und politischen Entscheidern zu ermçglichen, werden in „trading zones“ (Peter Galison) gemeinsame Sprachregelungen gestiftet. W-hrend solche Sprachregelungen tat- s-chlich soziale Gruppen verbinden und deren Zusammenarbeit befçrdern kçnnen, geht die Rolle von Modellen als Medium h-ufig nicht in diese Sprachregelungen mit ein. Die Sprachregelungen der trading zones kçnnen somit dazu beitragen, den Einfluss der Mo- dellierungspraxis auf Risikoeinsch-tzungen zu verdecken. Aufbauend auf Einsichten aus den Science and Technology Studies (STS) und empirischer Forschung in hydrologi- scher, hydrodynamischer und geotechnischer Ingenieursarbeit sowie der :kologie unter- streicht dieser Beitrag die Netzlichkeit des medialen Charakters von Modellen fer den Nachvollzug unterschiedlicher Risikoeinsch-tzungen von Akteuren im Wasserschutz. Die F-higkeit, Vorannahmen, Unsicherheiten und blinde Flecken von Computersimula- tionen und Modellierungspraxen zu erkennen und einzusch-tzen, erweist sich bei man- gelnder Werdigung des medialen Charakters von Modellen als eingeschr-nkt.

Summary: Risks in the Making: The Mediating Role of Models in Water Manage- ment and Civil Engineering in the Netherlands. Reliance on models can make techno- logical cultures susceptible to risks through the assumptions, uncertainties, and blind spots that may accompany modeling practices. Historian of science Peter Galison has described computer modeling practices as “trading zones”, conceptual spaces in which a shared language is hammered out in an attempt to facilitate collaboration between dif- ferent social groups, such as engineers and policymakers. Although such a shared lan- guage may enable collaboration between diverse groups, it may also make the relation between modeling practices and knowledge of risks less visible, since the shared language does not necessarily acknowledge how models produce knowledge about their world. In that respect, models have a ‘mediating’ role, since they are not straightforward representa- tions of the world, but involve a process of translating phenomena into formalized repre- sentations that enable experimentation. Drawing on insights from Science and Technolo- gy Studies (STS) and empirical work in the domains of hydrology, hydrodynamics, geo- technical engineering, and ecology, this paper emphasizes the importance of understand- ing the mediating role of models in shaping the understanding that various actors hold with regard to water-related risks. Failing to appreciate the mediating role of modelsIllustrate the use of computational models and present the role of general trust and values or possible biases in decision making.Write your submission in 1200 words or less in an MS Word Document. Your paper must demonstrate proper APA formatting and style. You do not need to include a cover page or abstract, but be sure to include your name, assignment title, and page number in the running header of each page. Your paper should include references from your unit readings and assigned research; the sources should be appropriately cited throughout your paper and in your reference list. Use meaningful section headings to clarify the organization and readability of your paper. Review the rubrics before working on the assignment.