for instance to harness waterrelated knowledge policy makers can set up water information systems whereas solving conflicts over water resources allocation requires the active involvement of those affected to identify the appropriate tradeoffs and build consensus indeed of participants surveyed concurred that existing mechanisms for stakeholder engagement are sufficient opinions converged that these tools have been successful to foster inclusive decision making both formally by making stakeholder engagement more systematic and informally by providing channels for stakeholders to contribute freely this result shows that all tools are in place or at hand it is then more a question of making them effective and outcomeoriented in practice than developing new instruments figure