Table 1.

Description of location, context, rationale, and participants of the four collaborative case studies where the knowledge coproduction approach was applied

Case study description	Participants
Case study 1. Flood on a lakeside urban plain: A national insurer and local disaster managers concerned about the causes and responses to increasing flood damage in this region after five severe weather events from 2003 to 2008.	Knowledge brokers
	Environmental NGO; research organization; insurance company; provincial disaster management
	Assessment team
	Research organization; insurance company; local authority disaster management
The town of Sedgefield, built on a low-lying coastal plain (<10 masl), is highly vulnerable to flooding from heavy rains. The surrounding catchment regulates water flows through infiltration, soil stabilization, flow regulation, and storage by soil, vegetation organic matter, and root systems. This flood regulation service is complemented by the role of the lake and estuary in breaching the estuary berm and reducing water levels.	Implementers
	Public
	Officials from planning, environment, disaster management, and conservation sectors at local and provincial scales; National Department of Cooperative Governance; South African Local Government Association; National Disaster Management Centre; South African National Parks
	Private
	Insurance company; forestry company
	Civil society
	Environmental NGO; land owners; community forums
	Bridging agents
	Provincial department of climate change and biodiversity, National Biodiversity Institute, local authority disaster management and environmental planning, environmental and conservation NGOs
Case study 2. Wildfire in a rapidly developing area: Forestry sector (private and public) and national insurer interest in an increase in impacts of wildfires.	Knowledge brokers
	Environmental NGO; research organization; insurance company; forestry company; provincial disaster management
The Garden Route coastal plain lies within the fynbos biome, a fire-prone and fire-dependent system, which is vulnerable to wildfires. Natural ecosystems regulate fire extent, intensity, and occurrence through the interaction of vegetation flammability, fuel loads and connectivity, microclimate regulation, and ignition sources.	Assessment team
	Research organization; forestry company; Fire Protection Association; provincial conservation authority
	Implementers
	Public
	Officials from environment, disaster management, conservation, agriculture, and forestry sectors at local and provincial scales; South African National Parks; public works program
	Private
	Insurance company; forestry company
	Civil society
	Fire Protection Association; environmental NGO
	Bridging agents
	Research organization; environmental NGO; local authority disaster management
Case study 3. Drought and hops production: A national brewery concerned about water-related risks to hops production initiated the project to explore the causes, consequences, and management options of water shortages to hops farmers in the area.	Knowledge brokers
	Environmental NGO; research organization; brewery company
	Assessment team
	Research organization; brewery company; hops farmers
	Implementers
	Public
The Waboomskraal and Herold subcatchments around the hops farms play an important role in capturing and storing rainfall in soil, rock, and organic material, thereby regulating flows and run-off. Of particular relevance to the drought mitigation service is the ability of these catchments to discharge and recharge groundwater, yielding higher baseflows in rivers and making more surface water available for irrigation in the stressed dry season.	Officials from disaster management, water, conservation, agriculture, and forestry sectors at local and provincial scales; catchment management agency; South African National Parks; public works program
	Private
	Insurance company; brewery company
	Civil society
	Fire Protection Association; hops farmers
	Bridging agents
	Research organization; environmental NGO; National Department of Water Affairs; local authority disaster management
Case study 4. Storm waves on an urbanized coast: A national insurer and local disaster managers, aware of increasing storm wave-related damage and claims, initiated the project to assess the causes and possible responses to storm waves.	Knowledge brokers
	Environmental NGO; research organization; insurance company; provincial disaster management
	Assessment team
	Research organization; Insurance company; local authority
Along the coast from Cape St. Blaize to Glentana, floods resulting from storm waves (waves with high run-up, impacts, and scouring) driving up onto land cause extreme coastal flooding and subsidence, thus damaging infrastructure along the coast. Shoreline ecosystems (e.g., beaches and dunes) are important for ensuring natural sediment transport processes, which prevent landward migration of the shoreline, allow for recovery of beaches after storms, and thereby maintain shallow beach profiles that reduce wave run-up.	Implementers
	Public
	Officials from planning, environment, disaster management, engineering sectors at local and provincial scales; National Department of Cooperative Governance; South African Local Government Association; National Disaster Management Centre; South African National Parks
	Private
	Insurance company
	Bridging agents
	Environmental NGO; research organization; local authority disaster management

Participant organizations in each case study are listed according to groups involved in different phases of the coproduction approach.