The urban hydrosocial cycle: why should engineers care?

Abstract

The research in urban water management, especially in the Global North, has so far been predominantly driven by the pursuit of technological innovation, with the overarching goal of managing demand and supply of the resource, seeking cost efficiency, quality and sustainability standards. Thus, the urban water cycle has been envisioned and shaped by technical knowledge and interventions. However, in recent years, the complex challenges faced by cities and their water systems increased the awareness about the importance of the governance of water that cannot be treated simply a resource to be exploited. Critical scholars, coming especially from social sciences have explored the concept of hydrosocial cycle, aiming to capture the human and socio-political dimension of the water cycle. While interdisciplinarity remains a desiderate in the water sector, in practice, the interaction between disciplines has so far been scarce, given the differences in worldviews, epistemological and methodological postures. In this piece, we explore how the concept of urban hydrosocial cycle can form the basis for a critical research agenda which informs not only a reimagining of water management but also the planning and technological processes. We illustrate this in two different relevant research topics, taking a critical perspective to nature-based solutions and digitalisation.