Exploring Human-Water Feedbacks in a Rapidly Changing World

This presentation highlights recent case studies, models, and global analyses that reveal emerging trends and patterns in human-water interactions and feedbacks in our rapidly changing, human-dominated world. Human activities worldwide are increasingly altering hydrological regimes, including the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods and droughts. These alterations result from various interventions, including the construction of water infrastructure, river flow diversions for irrigation or other purposes, land-use changes such as deforestation and urbanization, as well as climate alterations driven by greenhouse gas emissions. While societies shape hydrological extremes, they are also profoundly affected by these events. Following floods or droughts, human responses range from informal adaptations to deliberate strategies, including modifications to agricultural practices, revisions of social contracts, and both temporary and permanent migration. These interactions between heterogeneous human and water systems often produce unintended consequences, amplify risk dynamics, and exacerbate existing inequalities. Such feedbacks complicate the development of equitable and sustainable policies, frequently resulting in unprecedented events with catastrophic and uneven impacts.