Hydrology concerns itself with the full hydrological cycle, and therefore is interdisciplinary by necessity. Among the wide spectrum of contributing disciplines are such diverse fields as mathematics, atmospheric physics, fluid mechanics, engineering, oceanography, biology, chemistry, and many others. Still, the traditional boundaries between disciplinary sciences, often reinforced by the managerial structure of universities and research centres, hampers cooperation between hydrology and its supporting disciplines, and between hydrology and its equally multifaceted sister disciplines within the geosciences. This situation is pitiful because the progress of science is significantly stimulated when different backgrounds are successfully combined.
Nowadays, mankind exerts a vast influence on many processes at or near the Earth's surface and in the atmosphere, which led some to suggest the Anthropocene as the most recent geological epoch. Adressing the many issues related to man's effect on Earth system processes urgently calls for joint efforts at least within geosciences. EGU, the home of geoscientists in Europe, is the ideal arena where joint views can be identified and outlined, thus laying the foundations for a common agenda.
This session aims at pointing the way towards a multidisciplinary approach in hydrology through the views of six invited speakers: all
distinguished scientists from various disciplines (including hydrology itself). They will present their vision about how water science can be advanced through a joint effort and the integration of different backgrounds.

Invited speakers (all confirmed):

Bernard Barnier
Peter Loucks
Tom Battin
Niels Hovius
William Ingram
Larry Band