2nd Workshop Report: Co-creation and prioritization of research questions. Microcuenca El Playón – Montes de María, Colombia.

Based on the proposed goals and issues prioritized in workshop 1, a series of research questions have been posed by taking into account the needs of these communities regarding the socio-ecological conservation of the dry forest in the Playón micro-watershed in María La Baja, El Carmen de Bolívar, and San Jacinto.

By moving forward in a second phase of the process, these questions were reviewed, validated, and prioritized in a co-creation exercise that brings together local stakeholders, the scientific community, and academia. For this reason, we contacted stakeholders knowledgeable about the area and the problems existing in this territory, including Fundación Titi, Fundación Ecosistemas Secos, Universidad de Cartagena, Corporación para el Desarrollo Solidario, community representatives from María La Baja, El Carmen de Bolívar and San Jacinto, and the representatives who accompanied us in the first workshop in the villages.

Based on the interchange with the social stakeholders, were formulated and presented six initial questions were to know their opinions and the level of importance of the topics to be addressed in the future by the research teams working in the area.

After reviewing the prioritization of questions made by researchers and academics in the region, the questions have obtained a single order. Complementing the prioritization exercise, the participants took focus on the current situation of the zone. These academic communities highlight the integration of the community focus and overlap interests, concerns, and opportunities between stakeholders to co-produce a research project.

The co-produced question identified in the community workshop established as a research question would address the other questions prioritized in its development.