Facilitating knowledge co-production between science and practice by participatory modeling to enhance sustainable (ground)water management

Accelerating human activities and their intricate interdependencies with groundwater systems have intensified global challenges such as depletion and pollution, threatening both human and ecosystem health. Climate change and evolving abstraction patterns further exacerbate these issues, demanding innovative approaches to groundwater assessment and management. Transdisciplinary sustainability research has emerged as a promising framework to address these complex social-hydrogeological challenges and co-develop pathways toward sustainable groundwater governance. This presentation discusses methodological insights from the design and evaluation of transdisciplinary processes conducted in diverse geographical contexts (EU, USA), each targeting site-specific groundwater challenges. Through a series of transdisciplinary workshops, scientists and stakeholders collaboratively developed tailored management strategies. Knowledge co-production, particularly through participatory methods like participatory modeling, played a pivotal role in reducing uncertainties and developing sustainable groundwater management strategies. Groundwater models hold significant potential for bridging science and practice by visualizing hidden hydro(geo)logical processes, yet modeling is increasingly recognized as a socially and politically embedded practice. Drawing on experiences from both participatory and non-participatory, quantitative and qualitative modeling approaches, this presentation critically examines the opportunities and limitations of participatory modeling in transdisciplinary (ground)water research. It highlights the need for modelers to address normative assumptions, epistemological inequalities, and power asymmetries to foster more just and inclusive processes. Insights from these experiences inform the design of a new participatory modeling process for drinking water catchment risk assessment, integrating reflexive modeling principles to navigate associated challenges. Recognizing models as facilitators of knowledge co-production between science and practice while integrating reflexive perspectives in groundwater research will be crucial for safeguarding groundwater’s essential role in supporting human and ecosystem health amid climate change and growing anthropogenic pressures.