At the 14th Water Research Horizon Conference, water researchers, practitioners, and policymakers gathered in Leipzig (26.-27.09.2024) to exchange ideas on key issues in water research. A central focus was how to translate water research into actionable insights that help society address both current and future water crises. Hannah Kosow presented the ZuWaKo context scenarios, offering an initial outline of future uncertainties and the associated risks of conflicts over water resources and governance.
The participants’ discussions reinforced several assumptions and findings from the ZuWaKo project, for instance:
- Uncertainty in Germany’s water future is multifaceted: This uncertainty spans various dimensions, including data uncertainty, model uncertainty, scenario uncertainty (future openness), and strategic uncertainty (how will different actors act?).
- Future water conflicts involve framing disputes: Not all actors agree on whether conflicts will increase or on the types of conflicts that may arise. For example, a representative from the Federal Ministry for the Environment questioned, “Is competition for water resources becoming the norm?”
- Ambitious policy frameworks and regulations, if not coupled with enhanced cooperation and coordination within the water sector, may exacerbate water governance conflicts.
