Modeling the fair transformation of water

Four early-career scholars (Rossella Alba, Bich Tran, Jonatan Godinez, and Rozemarijn ter Horst) explore the multiple social and political factors influencing models and the modeling of water systems. Their starting point is that models are far from neutral tools; their development and use are profoundly shaped by the geographical, institutional, and historical context in which they are developed, by technologies, and by the many choices made by those involved in the modeling process, such as modelers, commissioners, and other stakeholders (ter Horst et al. 2024). To this end, they examine how models are developed—by whom, for whom, and with what implications for the distribution and quality of water. Building on this initial critical examination of modeling, they are now turning to exploring how models and modeling can support just water transformations. Just transformation involves situated knowledge, ad hoc local commitments, and negotiations between different worldviews, forms of knowledge, objectives, and values. During this seminar hosted by G-EAU, they will introduce their CAT project and present the insights gained so far. In a facilitated discussion, they invite participants to share their feedback on their work and to share experiences, ideas, examples, and (novel) practices for modeling water systems to support just transformations.

This event will be conducted entirely in English. A cocktail reception will follow.