The Water and Human Systems section is dedicated to publishing research focused on the complex interplay between hydrological and social systems.

Led by Dr. Mariele Evers from the University of Bonn and Dr. Saket Pande from Delft University of Technology, the Water and Human Systems section welcomes submissions in multidisciplinary domains of water resources, which explore the connections between human and water systems, their feedback on each other and implications for water governance, justice and interventions for sustainable water futures.

Topics considered in the scope of this section include:

decision making processes and management strategies
designing and implementing water management interventions
interdisciplinary critical studies of water- human interactions at multiple scales, integration or not of sociohydrological and hydrosocial sciences, qualitative insights such as ethnography, visualization techniques and novel digital/open science means to generate transdisciplinary knowledge
multidisciplinary approaches to data and models for predictions and design of water – human systems
participatory and just governance and water governance in general
pluralistic water research
sensitivity analysis of system elements
spatial heterogeneities and emergent nexuses in sociohydrological systems
tradeoffs and synergies between different water users, e.g. water-energy-food-environment nexus, spatial heterogeneities related with water quality and quantity, differential access to water resources and implications for social inequalities, justice and interventions
tradeoffs and synergies in water resources management
use of data science integrating quantitative and qualitative data to better understand human-water dynamics, modelling and predictions of coupled trajectories of human-water systems and/or the effects of interventions, design or implement sustainable water interventions based on empirically grounded behavioral, economic and other social methods
water governance and justice, participatory approaches to co-designing interventions that may/may not engage local value systems, aspects of gender, race or other ethical considerations in human – water relations

Submissions should provide detailed, in-depth knowledge about the interactions between human and water systems, aiming to better understand patterns, dynamics, and potential solutions for sustainable water management. In particular, the section welcomes submissions which support, advance or synthesize studies investigating SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 13 (Climate Action).

The Water and Human Systems section does not consider submissions focusing on energy production, industrial development, or urban planning without a clear and direct relevance to water-related human-environment interactions in context of water quantity or quality. Studies that do not address the complex interplay between hydrological and social systems or lack a relevance to water issues are outside the scope of this section.

This multidisciplinary section is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating cutting-edge scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries in the field of water resources management to researchers, industry, policymakers, and the public worldwide.

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Open Citizen Science Data and Methods