Scale mismatch in social–ecological systems: a Costa Rican case study of spring water management

In the management of natural resources, scale mismatch occurs when resources are not managed at the spatial or temporal scale at which they are provisioned. Issues of scale mismatch abound in social–ecological systems and can hinder efforts to effectively manage resources, threaten the resilience of the larger ecosystem, and affect societal well-being and livelihoods. Here, we provide a brief overview of the scale mismatch literature and discuss potential opportunities to address scale mismatches in drinking water management. We present a case study of spring water management in rural communities in the Cartago province of Costa Rica, where community groups face issues of both spatial and temporal mismatch in providing drinking water to their users. Through this case study, we observed that issues of scale mismatch are often overlooked because of a lack of understanding of the scale at which resources are sustained. We argue that highlighting examples of scale mismatch will help others to identify and understand their own systems and be better prepared to reconfigure operations to govern and manage social–ecological systems. Given the dynamic, adaptive nature of social–ecological systems, scale dependencies can change in a system. Thus, we recommend periodic scale mismatch analysis in these systems.