Inland Waters and Societies within the Earth System

There are complex interlinkages between freshwater, as key part of the water cycle, and societies represented in diverse societal pressures and interventions on one hand, and water flows and impacts on societies on the other. These interlinkages are undergoing non-linear changes in the Anthropocene, posing additional threats for societies, freshwaters, and the stability of other water-related Earth system components.

This working group (WG), focuses on determining the impacts of these changes on freshwater as part of the global water cycle (e.g., quality and quality), and on societies through water-related risks (e.g., droughts, floods, pollution). Furthermore, the WG works on systemically understanding the interlinkages between the individual components of the water cycle, with the other components of the Earth system, and the societies. The WG is involved in developing and implementing concepts, frameworks and approaches to analyse and evaluate these interlinkages across-scales, ranging from local to global water-related challenges including quality, quantity, risks, and societal and ecological justice. The generated knowledge acts as a step-stone for societal agreements on water-related development targets that are scientifically guided and within Earth’s ecological capacity, and for emerging innovations that foster sustainability transformations in managing water resources.

Against this background, the WG “Freshwater and Societies within the Earth System” brings together international expertise from diverse water-related fields such as surface and groundwater hydrology, ecology, engineering, risk management, economics, governance, and policy. The group aims to exchange knowledge and collaboratively address complex freshwater challenges through integrated and transformative approaches that bridge natural and social sciences. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, the WG seeks to advance understanding of water-societal interlinkages under global change. This focus aligns closely with the overarching mission of the InTRES platform for Integrative and Transformative Research on Earth and Societies.