Panta Rhei: a decade of progress in research on change in hydrology and society

Abstract

To better understand the increasing human impact on the water cycle and the feedbacks between hydrology and society need to be better understood. As a consequence, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) initiated and conducted the scientific decade entitled “Panta Rhei—Everything Flows: Change in hydrology and society” during (2013-2022). This review summarises the main scientific advances on change in hydrology and society, with a focus on the feedbacks between humans and water. A key finding is the need to use integrated approaches to assess the co-evolution of human-water systems in order to avoid unintended consequences of human interventions over long periods of time. Additionally, substantial progress has been made in leveraging new data sources on human behaviour, e.g., through text mining of social media posts. Much has been learned about detecting hydrological changes and attributing them to their drivers, quantifying climate effects on floods. Also, much headway has been made in understanding and modelling coupled socio-hydrological systems through combining methods from the social and natural sciences, such as system dynamics models. In terms of supporting water management and adaptation to change, progress has been made, although there is still much to be done. To achieve further progress, we recommend that the community takes a broader view of the hydrologic sciences, through broadening the understanding, the discipline and training activities, while at the same time pursuing synthesis by focusing on key themes, developing innovative approaches and finding sustainable solutions to the world's water problems of the world.