Co-Creating a Safe Operating Space Framework for Water Resources: Insights from the Danube Basin case study

Significant increases in water withdrawals over the past century have driven severe environmental challenges worldwide, including water scarcity, declining water quality, and the loss of freshwater biodiversity. These challenges are projected to intensify due to climate and societal changes in the coming decades. To address these issues, it is critical to define a Safe Operating Space (SOS) for water resources that ensures a sustainable and adequate water supply, meeting quality standards for both human needs and natural ecosystems.

Building on the Planetary Boundaries framework, the concept of Safe Operating Space (SOS) has emerged in the last decades to assess sustainable resource use within the Earth’s carrying capacity while maintaining human well-being. Within the Horizon Europe SOS-Water project, we are working to define the SOS for the entire water resources using in an integrated approach incorporating modelling, monitoring, development of advanced indicators and inclusive stakeholder engagement based on true collaboration. SOS-Water works with stakeholders in four case studies in Europe and overseas (Danube, Rhine, Jucar and Mekong basins) to co-create future scenarios and management pathways.

The results of SOS-Water will improve knowledge of water resource availability and improve water planning and management at local, regional and global levels. This will ensure equitable water distribution across societies, economies, and ecosystems, fostering resilience, social equity, and economic efficiency.

This proposed talk will showcase the application of the SOS-Water framework to the Danube Basin, with a focus on its inclusive and iterative participatory approach which actively engages stakeholders in co-defining visions, water values, and management options. We will present insights from the first stakeholder workshop, showcasing how these contributions shaped the preliminary SOS framework for the basin. Additionally, we will outline how this co-creation process will continue to define adaptation pathways and guide sustainable water management practices to address critical water challenges in the Danube Basin.