How might we achieve water security?: An interdisciplinary case study in the Netherlands to inspire future research and policy

Abstract

Clean water that is available, accessible, and utilizable in a stable way is essential for nature and society. Yet, nature and society face water security risks including pollution, scarcity, and flooding. We, as a multidisciplinary scientific team, set out to identify timely interdisciplinary questions at the frontiers of water security research to inspire and guide future research and policy. To do this, we surveyed academics (n = 51), predominantly those working in the Netherlands, across 33 disciplines. Based on the responses we received, we identified 125 questions, linked them to four pillars of water security (availability, accessibility, utilizability, and stability), and evaluated them for their relevance to four broad research domains (law and governance, nature and ecology, societal impact and awareness, and technology and innovation). After this process, we tallied the number of domains associated with each question: the majority of questions (78%; n = 98) were associated with at least two domains, with the rest being associated with one or none. Furthermore, questions (n = 47) most frequently focused on the intersection of availability (pillar) and technology and innovation (domain), while very rarely (n = 8) incorporated both accessibility (pillar) and nature and ecology (domain). We invite others to engage in similar exercises with the overall goals of expanding the list of questions and distinguishing questions that are globally, regionally, or locally relevant. To address these pressing yet complex water-related questions, we encourage fellow researchers to look beyond their own disciplines and to maintain or initiate inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations. Also, we call on funding agencies, scientific associations, and organizing committees of scientific conferences to provide the resources and platforms that are needed to stimulate interdisciplinary research and disseminate results.