ABSTRACT
Solutions for watershed management in Asia are often focused on the technical and structural interventions (hardware) and policy and management strategies (software), with less attention given on how these hardware and software approaches are connected to the “heartware” that are organically and internally driven by the shared values of diverse communities in the region. This chapter shares the author’s personal perspective as the principal researcher in exploring the Heartware approach, inspired from Japan, as a form of social innovation for integrated watershed management in Malaysia. Insights on how this approach can enhance social innovation, especially in dealing with knowledge asymmetries and the politics of blending science and local knowledge, will be discussed.
