Graham McDowel (2022). Foregrounding the human dimensions of hydrological change to improve adaptation outcomes. Proceedings of the GWF Annual Open Science Meeting, May 16-18, 2022.

Climate-related hydrological changes, such as those observed across high mountain areas globally, portend dramatic consequences for those exposed to changes in water availability, quality, and hydrological hazards. Pioneering hydrological research is enhancing appreciation for the magnitude of the challenges such changes portent for society, and underpins growing calls for adaptation action to ameliorate the effects of changing hydrological systems. Counterintuitively, however, natural scientific approaches are also playing an outsized role in conceptualizing the social consequences of hydrological changes, with unintended consequences on our ability to respond appropriately and effectively to climate-related hydrological changes. Social scientists have long called for foregrounding the human dimensions of hydrological change, arguing that doing so can lead to a more accurate understanding of who is vulnerable, to what stressors, how, why, and with what implications. Such insights can, in turn, lead to a more precise targeting of adaptation assistance, enhanced understanding of pre-existing social conditions that enable or constrain adaptability, and more inclusive adaptation planning and implementation processes, all of which have been demonstrated to improve adaptation outcomes. This approach is gaining traction, but has not yet garnered sufficient mainstream appreciation. While recognizing the fundamental importance of hydrological sciences, this poster aims to shed light on the ways in which social scientific approaches to the human dimensions of hydrological change can support efforts to secure more desirable socio-hydrological futures for those exposed to changes in water availability, quality, and hydrological hazards.

Advancing understanding of the human dimensions of hydrological change.

AOSM2022 First Author: Graham McDowell, University of Calgary / Canadian Mountain Assessment Additional Authors: N/A