Connections, disconnections and reconnections in socio-hydrosystems:  Does (in)visibility make the difference?

Keywords: socio-hydrosystems; connectivity; invisible; contamination; hydrological changes
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

The relationship between societies and their hydrosystems can be understood as a series of connections and disconnections that occur in all domains (e.g., hydrological, geomorphological, ecological, etc.) and dimensions (e.g, longitudinal, vertical, lateral). The use of watercourses and water resources creates material and symbolic connections which leads water stakeholders to also consider the sociological, political, aesthetic, and spiritual dimensions of the socio-hydrosystem.
The development of infrastructures (e.g, embankments, dams, etc.) generates important disconnections. Moreover, technical progress and the multiplication of infrastructures have contributed to the invisibilization of water resources and the functioning of the socio-hydrosystem.
As a result, recent water and environmental policies emphasize the importance of connectivity between the various compartments of socio-hydrosystems and focus especially on reconnection at all levels. Successfully restoring the socio-ecological connectivity is tied to (in)visibility dynamics that must be taken into account. The invisible can be understood both as "what is not known" and also as "what is not actively considered". The issue of visibility is thus to be understood as lying at the intersection of relations of perceptions and relations of power which shapes decision-making. This poster presents the HYDECO research project, which involves 7 Human-Environment Observatories (CNRS, Labex DRIIHM) in France, Portugal, Canada, and the United States. This interdisciplinary project leans on the analysis of disconnection/reconnection processes in socio-hydrosystems as diverse as rivers, lagoons, and high-altitude lakes. The objective is to analyze the impacts of the (in)visibility of challenges such as emerging pollutants and hydrological changes in the context of climate change.