The Water and Society research theme

The relationship between water and society dates back to thousands of years ago when the first civilizations settled in the fertile floodplains of rivers to benefit from their nutrient-rich land and have easy access to water for commerce, navigation and livelihood.

Nowadays, water and societies are even more closely intertwined.

Societies' well-being, safety and development strongly rely on water availability and usability. Urbanization, land use, population growth and climate change are some of the pressures currently affecting the water-society mutual shaping.

Water and Society research theme leader