HELPING: Co-creating and communicating water solutions in a globally changing world

The current IAHS decade is dedicated to "Hydrology Engaging Local People IN one Global world" (HELPING). One of the core mandates of HELPING, as captured under Theme 3, emphasizes the co-creation of water knowledge and communication. Even though co-creation is not novel, especially within a participatory framework, defining and providing boundaries has been challenging when viewed through a hydrological lens. Our ongoing discussions and meetings have focused on understanding the uniqueness of this Theme and how best we can HELP to utilize diverse communication instruments IN one Global world. For Theme 3, we intend to answer questions such as: (a) How best can we co-create hydrological knowledge (indigenous/traditional and evidence-based) between people and disciplines? (b) How can we improve and increase the visibility of the hydrological decade? (c) How can we provide water solutions through the active engagement of Local People? Some answers to these questions lie in focusing on bottom-up approaches to solve the water crisis in a globally changing world. We acknowledge the fluidities in HELPING regarding the co-creation of water knowledge, which underscores the recognition of variability and complexity within this endeavour. As such, we intend to be diverse in our approach by amplifying silent voices that may have been overlooked, also with a decolonial perspective, and engaging other perspectives from other disciplines, such as but not limited to social sciences and humanities, specifically those whose work intersects sociohydrology, hydro-sociology, hydropolitics and hydronarratives.