Social Hydrology (ÜWP) - Detailseite

Students a) get to know prominent theoretical frameworks of human-water relations, b) apply them to frame an original empirical study, and c) use their skills to formulate a research question, design a methodology, conduct a study, present outcomes, and develop a report.

The emerging field of socio-hydrology addresses the fact that human activities and the water cycle constantly interact, at an increasingly global scale. This interdisciplinary Study Project (SPJ) aims to clarify and discuss some relevant aspects of human–water relationships by a set of individual projects. It combines lectures, group discussions, practical study (ideally qualitative or quantitative data analyses) and short presentations/progress reports. It will have a regional focus on Central Asia, where water scarcity is an important topic for the agriculture and energy sectors as well as people’s livelihoods.

In some lecture parts, participants get an introduction into the overall topic of socio-hydrology, the study area, and specific methods relevant for the study projects to be conducted. Thereby they are guided on how to develop an own research idea and project to be conducted throughout the semester.

In the exercise/practical parts, students design – mentored by the lecturers through co-teaching – their own subject, discuss their study plan in the plenary, perform required data analysis and/or literature review, and finally present the main results. Topics and analysis tools for individual projects will be identified during the course depending on the students’ individual backgrounds and skills. While the overall topic is about social–hydrological interactions in Central Asia, individual projects can cover questions such as: how water-scarce the region is and how this can be measured; how the region is dependent on surrounding glaciers through rivers on the one hand and on other regions in the world through virtual water trade on the other hand; how hydrological forecast systems can help farmers and decision-makers to better plan water resources management; how climate change affects water cycles and livelihoods of people in the region; or how traditional knowledge systems can be harmonized with modern technology.

Please register in AGNES; participation will be agreed on in the first session (April 15th, or possibly slightly later according to ÜWP registration schedule). The study projects (individual or in teams of two students) will be assigned in the first weeks, following a structured semester schedule.

The final exam takes the form of a project report written during the lecture-free period (with minimised additional effort, as project findings should be finalised roughly by mid-July).