nÃo hà / No Brasil, a Lei das Ãguas no 9.433, de 08/01/1997, fundamentada na PolÃtica Nacional de Recursos HÃdricos, conceitua Ãgua como um recurso natural limitado e de valor econÃmico agregado, cuja gestÃo à condicionada à sua anÃlise e operaÃÃo, em funÃÃo dos seus usos mÃltiplos. Como um bem indispensÃvel à vida, a Ãgua, em sua abundÃncia ou escassez, gera conflitos e opiniÃes divergentes quanto à sua utilizaÃÃo, por conta da sua natureza limitada e dada à sua vocaÃÃo para fomentar relaÃÃes e aÃÃes humanas. DistribuÃda, irregularmente, no tempo e no espaÃo, mesmo por forÃa das condiÃÃes geogrÃficas, climÃticas e meteorolÃgicas, a Ãgua assume, assim, capital importÃncia para os seres vivos. Apesar de ser considerada um bem da natureza, de caracterÃstica renovÃvel, hà imperiosa necessidade de que ela seja preservada e bem gerenciada, merecendo uma anÃlise realÃstica de que à um recurso finito e de ocorrÃncia aleatÃria. Nos dias atuais, em que as mudanÃas climÃticas globais pÃem à mostra a forte agressÃo ao meio ambiente, com exigÃncia de respostas positivas em seu favor, a gerÃncia deste bem, tÃo precioso quanto ameaÃado, torna-se um ponto de reflexÃo, apontando para a importÃncia da aquisiÃÃo de conhecimento novos e de novas formas de governanÃa. Os vÃrios pontos de vista dos agentes e tomadores de decisÃo, envolvidos no processo, acabam por provocar discordÃncias, dada à complexidade dos cenÃrios, em anÃlise, que transcende à modelagem matemÃtica e exige, cada vez mais, o armazenamento persistente das experiÃncias e conhecimentos individuais ou de grupo, no tempo e no espaÃo, conhecimentos estes sà passÃveis de consolidaÃÃo, com o uso das ferramentas cÃleres da computaÃÃo digital. Entendemos que, tanto o gerenciamento, quanto o planejamento de recursos hÃdricos, sà se tornam possÃveis, para otimizaÃÃo de resultados, se houver uma integraÃÃo de diversas tecnologias, em ambiente colaborativo capaz de promover a superaÃÃo de obstÃculos e o atendimento racional à demanda por reservas hÃdricas, juntando tÃcnica e bom senso, a serviÃo da coletividade. A integraÃÃo do real com o imaginÃrio, na luta incessante para a melhoria das condiÃÃes humanas, antecipa as necessidades futuras da humanidade, diante das incertezas que se anunciam, ao tempo em que se viabiliza o suporte da orientaÃÃo consciente aos aspectos envolvidos, com foco na liberdade de aÃÃo. / In Brazil, the Water Law in 9433, of 08/01/1997, based on the National Policy of Water Resources, defines water as a limited natural resource and economic value added, whose management is subject to analysis and operation, according its multiple uses. As an indispensable asset to life, water, in its abundance or scarcity, creates conflict and differing opinions as to its use, because of its limited nature and given to her vocation to foster relations and human actions. Distributed irregularly in time and space, even under conditions of geography, climate and weather, the water thus assumes crucial importance for living beings. Despite being considered a good nature, characteristic of renewable, no overriding need for it to be preserved and managed well, earning a realistic analysis of which is a finite resource and random occurrence. Nowadays, that global climate change pose to the strong showing aggression to the environment, with the requirement of positive responses in their favor, the management of this well, as precious as threatened, it becomes a point of reflection, pointing to the importance of acquiring new knowledge and new forms of governance. The different viewpoints agents and decision makers involved in the process, eventually causing disagreements, given the complexity of the scenarios under consideration, which transcends the mathematical modeling and requires increasingly persistent storage of individual experiences and knowledge or group, in time and space, these knowledge only capable of consolidation, with the use of the tools of rapid digital computing. We understand that both the management, the planning of water resources only become possible to optimize results, if there is an integration of various technologies, collaborative environment that promotes overcoming obstacles and meeting the demand for rational water reserves , joining technique and common sense in the service of the community. The integration of real and imaginary, in the constant struggle for the improvement of human conditions, anticipated future needs of humanity in the face of uncertainties that are announced at the time that it makes possible the conscious orientation to support aspects involved, focusing on freedom of action.

During the last decades “Climate Change” has become a vital topic on national and international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of “Climate Change” phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality reconstructed on the phenomenon of “Climate Change” among the “Emerging Black Farmers” in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa? Taken as an example, “Climate Change Knowledge” is reconstructed through a case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social, economic and educational transition in South Africa. Applying a constructivist approach, “Climate Change Knowledge” is not understood as an objectively given, but a socially constructed “reality” that is based on the interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as strategies of knowledge transfer. The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical “side perspectives”. Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing knowledge around “Climate Change” as a fluid, constantly changing system that is shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader (socio-economic) context of “historicity”. Content clusters are remodelled with the help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on “Climate Change” is developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives. The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about “Climate Change” and that the farmers’ “Climate Change Knowledge” highly depends on experiential relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the system’s historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production.

During the last decades “Climate Change” has become a vital topic on national and international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of “Climate Change” phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality reconstructed on the phenomenon of “Climate Change” among the “Emerging Black Farmers” in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa? Taken as an example, “Climate Change Knowledge” is reconstructed through a case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social, economic and educational transition in South Africa. Applying a constructivist approach, “Climate Change Knowledge” is not understood as an objectively given, but a socially constructed “reality” that is based on the interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as strategies of knowledge transfer. The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical “side perspectives”. Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing knowledge around “Climate Change” as a fluid, constantly changing system that is shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader (socio-economic) context of “historicity”. Content clusters are remodelled with the help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on “Climate Change” is developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives. The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about “Climate Change” and that the farmers’ “Climate Change Knowledge” highly depends on experiential relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the system’s historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production.