Setting living labs on water reuse

With Olivier Barreteau (G-EAU) and Justine Bassoul (WOC)

Living Labs are participatory research arrangements that are spreading rapidly, with heterogeneous implementations. We present here the creation of a network of six Living Labs in the Occitanie region, designed as places for collaborative research on water reuse. The success of the concept and the spread of its use have led to a variety of ways of putting Living Labs into practice, depending on the domain and the common objectives. It is then necessary to clarify their use in the broad category and in relation to other tools, such as science shops, depending on their mobilisation of different types of actors. We present, in the context of the literature on the co-construction of knowledge on environmental issues, the characteristics of the Living Labs that we are helping to set up in Occitanie. Those focused on water give a specific place to local public decision-makers, while mobilising the diversity of local actors. Long-term planning is still an issue, and the consolidation of Living Labs requires a good balance between co-leader support, stakeholder mapping, funding and facilitation time.