Consensus Process for Common Pool Resource Management among Stakeholders with Different Interests: Development of a Consensus Game of the Geothermal Energy and a Study Using the Game

<p>This study developed a “consensus game of the geothermal energy” to observe the consensus-building process among stakeholders with different interests. The game simulates the conflict between local and broader societal views on the management of common pool resources, using a case study of geothermal resources. The game represents the conflict caused by different views of the same geothermal resource. On the one hand, players who are responsible for the public sector emphasize public benefits and sustainable economic development from the broader perspective of the entire society. On the other hand, players who are attached to regions emphasize the local tourism resources and uniqueness of history, culture, and traditions from a local perspective. Ten games were conducted to capture the discrimination between games that successfully resolved the conflict and those that failed. The results suggested that the games achieving consensus demonstrated that: a) the players discussed the same commons acknowledging the different interests and values of their opponents, b) they recognized the situation as pursuing everyone's interests, rather than seeking their own interests, and shaped a shared recognition among them, and c) the ideas that incorporated the values of both sides emerged and were reflected the final decision.</p>