Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1029/2024WR038088
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Convergent and transdisciplinary integration: On the future of integrated modeling of human-water systems
Author Razavi, S.; Duffy, A.; Eamen, L.; Jakeman, A.J.; Jardine, T.D.; Wheater, H.; Hunt, R.J.; Maier, H.R.; Abdelhamed, M.S.; Ghoreishi, M.; Gupta, H.; Döll, P.; Moallemi, E.A.; Yassin, F.; Strickert, G.; Nabavi, E.; Mai, J.; Li, Y.; Thériault, J.M.; Wu, W.; Pomeroy, J.; Clark, M.P.; Ferguson, G.; Gober, P.; Cai, X.; Reed, M.G.; Saltelli, A.; Elshorbagy, A.; Sedighkia, M.; Terry, J.; Lindenschmidt, K.-E.; Hannah, D.M.; Li, K.; Asadzadeh, M.; Harvey, N.; Moradkhani, H.; Grimm, V.
Source Titel Water Resources Research
Year 2025
Department OESA
Volume 61
Issue 2
Page From e2024WR038088
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Keywords integrated modeling; modeling purpose; uncertainty; knowledge systems; disciplinary barriers
Abstract The notion of convergent and transdisciplinary integration, which is about braiding together different knowledge systems, is becoming the mantra of numerous initiatives aimed at tackling pressing water challenges. Yet, the transition from rhetoric to actual implementation is impeded by incongruence in semantics, methodologies, and discourse among disciplinary scientists and societal actors. Here, we embrace “integrated modeling”—both quantitatively and qualitatively—as a vital exploratory instrument to advance such integration, providing a means to navigate complexity and manage the uncertainty associated with understanding, diagnosing, predicting, and governing human-water systems. From this standpoint, we confront disciplinary barriers by offering seven focused reviews and syntheses of existing and missing links across the frontiers distinguishing surface and groundwater hydrology, engineering, social sciences, economics, Indigenous and place-based knowledge, and studies of other interconnected natural systems such as the atmosphere, cryosphere, and ecosphere. While there are, arguably, no bounds to the pursuit of inclusivity in representing the spectrum of natural and human processes around water resources, we advocate that integrated modeling can provide a focused approach to delineating the scope of integration, through the lens of three fundamental questions: (a) What is the modeling “purpose”? (b) What constitutes a sound “boundary judgment”? and (c) What are the “critical uncertainties” and their compounding effects? More broadly, we call for investigating what constitutes warranted “systems complexity,” as opposed to unjustified “computational complexity” when representing complex natural and human-natural systems, with careful attention to interdependencies and feedbacks, scaling issues, nonlinear dynamics and thresholds, hysteresis, time lags, and legacy effects.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=30503
Razavi, S., Duffy, A., Eamen, L., Jakeman, A.J., Jardine, T.D., Wheater, H., Hunt, R.J., Maier, H.R., Abdelhamed, M.S., Ghoreishi, M., Gupta, H., Döll, P., Moallemi, E.A., Yassin, F., Strickert, G., Nabavi, E., Mai, J., Li, Y., Thériault, J.M., Wu, W., Pomeroy, J., Clark, M.P., Ferguson, G., Gober, P., Cai, X., Reed, M.G., Saltelli, A., Elshorbagy, A., Sedighkia, M., Terry, J., Lindenschmidt, K.-E., Hannah, D.M., Li, K., Asadzadeh, M., Harvey, N., Moradkhani, H., Grimm, V. (2025):
Convergent and transdisciplinary integration: On the future of integrated modeling of human-water systems
Water Resour. Res. 61 (2), e2024WR038088 10.1029/2024WR038088