Understanding natural-cultural systems for development planning: The problems of developing societies

This paper traces the levels of understanding based on which three development-planning exercises were carried out in a microwatershed in the South Indian State of Kerala: the first by a governmental department and the other two by a nongovernmental organization. The microwatershed is considered here as a natural-cultural system. The authors identify three levels of understanding: the first level influenced by a technological solution, the second one by certain methods, and the third by the ideological viewpoints. The authors argue for a critical understanding of the ideological viewpoints implicit at the third level. This argument, based on the experience of the case study, derives strength from the developments in Critical Systems Perspective. © 1996 Plenum Publishing Corporation.