Water security, risk and society

Water security is a defining challenge for society in the 21st century. The ancient struggle to cope with water access and shocks is now magnified by complex and uncertain processes of global change to societies, economies and climate at multiple scales.

The symposium seeks to advance scientific inquiry and inform policy choices by developing an evidence base about the status of and pathways to water security in terms of multiple risks, scales, and actors. The symposium will address water security challenges in developed and developing countries and regions, seeking to identify and elucidate global interdependencies between different socio-economic and cultural contexts.

Aims, objectives, and outcomes

The groundwater aquifer for this pump in Rakhain village, Bangladesh, has been contaminated by sea water. 
© Sumaiya S Kabir - UKCDS

This symposium will convene leading scientists and members of industry and government to advance the water security agenda and build partnerships across theory, policy and practice.

Thematic questions include:

• How is water security defined in terms of multiple risks, scales and actors?
• What are the status and metrics of water security at multiple scales?
• What is the relationship between water security and society in terms of poverty, growth and stability?
• What are the pathways to water security in the context of different biophysical conditions, perceived risks and levels of development?
• What are the pressing knowledge gaps to enhance water security, and how can interdisciplinary science contribute?

UKCDS is one of the supporting partners of this conference.

To find out more about the keynote speakers, programme and fees, you can download the full programme (PDF) or please visit the website.