14. Water Research Horizon Conference

The 14^th Water Research Horizon Conference (WRHC 2024) took place from September 26th to 27th in Leipzig and provided a crucial platform for inter- and transdisciplinary discussions on current and future water-related challenges. The main aim of the WRHC 2024 was to address how water research could be better valorized to more effectively tackle these challenges. During the conference, experts explored the complex interactions between water availability, ecosystem health, and societal resilience through three key sessions – "Is there enough water for humans and nature at the same time?", "How to address the water quality crisis at the ecosystem level?", and "How can society cope with the water crisis?". The sessions combined scientific perspectives, policy considerations, and practical solutions to address water-related challenges in a changing world. Throughout these sessions, a persistent question of the researchers was whether and how water research could be more effectively valorized to overcome the prevailing challenges. They discerned that different aspects should be considered to achieve a higher valorization of water research. The focus should not only be on the practical uptake of water research by policy makers and water managers, but also on promoting the value of basic research and knowledge transfer. Further, a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration needs to be encouraged.

Session 1: Is there enough water for humans and nature at the same time?

This session focused on the growing competition between human water demands and the needs of natural ecosystems. Rapid urbanization, industrial expansion, and agricultural intensification have significantly increased water consumption, often resulting in the deterioration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Climate change-induced shifts in precipitation patterns and increasing drought frequencies further exacerbate water stress in many regions globally.

During the session, the speakers presented case studies from Europe, Africa, and Australia addressing several environmental issues such as declining groundwater levels, river desiccation, loss of wetlands, and biodiversity collapse, all of which were attributed to excessive water withdrawals for irrigation, industrial, and urban supply.

Further, the researchers presented innovative strategies for environmental flow regulations, which ensure that rivers and lakes receive a minimum volume of water to sustain natural water ecosystems despite the human water demands. These strategies included:

• Nature-based solutions, such as wetland restoration and reforestation in catchment areas, to enhance water retention and provide protection against extreme weather events
• Sustainable agricultural practices, such as precision irrigation, regenerative farming, and crop diversification, to reduce water consumption without compromising food security.
• Establishment of water reallocation frameworks, including water trading schemes and the legal recognition of ecosystem water rights, to achieve a balance between economic and ecological priorities.

The session concluded with a call for integrated water resource management (IWRM) approaches that promote equitable water distribution between human and ecological needs, on the basis that long-term water security depends on maintaining the health of natural water systems.

Session 2: How to address the water quality crisis at the ecosystem level?

This session focused on the worsening water quality crisis, driven by pollution, land-use changes, and climate variability and examined this complex topic from multiple angles. Rather than only considering point-source pollution (e.g., wastewater treatment plants and industrial discharge), the speakers addressed how entire ecosystems respond to various pollutants and how this may change under different future hydroclimatic and socioeconomic scenarios.

The researchers presented studies analyzing the effects of different kinds of pollution, including:

• Nutrient pollution from agriculture and 'hidden threats' like forest diebacks, which lead to ground and surface water eutrophication.
• Emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and PFAS, which persist in aquatic environments and bioaccumulate in food chains.
• Heavy metals and mining-related pollution, affecting freshwater biodiversity and human health.

Further, the speakers presented successful restoration projects in urban environments in which nature-based solutions and consultation and inclusion of citizens were applied to successfully improve water quality. However, the presentations also showed that the nature-based 'build it and they will come' approach does not necessarily work well in urban systems. To improve restoration success in urban ecosystems, model-based solutions such as spatially explicit projections of key pollutants or specific aspects of disposal and removal efficiencies should be integrated in the development process. Further, a higher valorization of the necessary basic research is needed to better understand these complex ecosystems.

Overall, the session emphasized the necessity for ecosystem-based water quality management and highlighted the need to better assess the probability of different impact scenarios, to improve modelling through uncertainty analyses, and to better link hydrological, chemical and biological monitoring data. Further, the potential of long-term archives such as the Federal Environmental Specimen Bank was demonstrated as an interdisciplinary monitoring resource.

A key conclusion of the session was that water quality cannot be managed in isolation, rather it necessitates interdisciplinary collaboration across sectors, policy reforms, and public involvement. Furthermore, the discussion emphasized the need for enhanced monitoring systems and the establishment of early warning networks to detect pollution events prior to their escalation into ecosystem-wide crises.

Session 3: How can society cope with the water crisis?

Session 3 explored how societies can adapt to increasing water scarcity, deteriorating water quality, and climate-related water risks. The discussions covered economic, technological, and behavioral strategies that have the potential to improve water resilience at local, national, and global scales.

One of the key themes was the role of water governance, or more precisely, how legal frameworks, policies, and institutional structures influence water management decisions. Presenters discussed challenges such as unequal access to water, weak regulatory enforcement, and conflicts over transboundary water resources. The following solutions were proposed:

• Decentralized water governance that empowers local communities to manage their own water resources.
• Water pricing and efficiency incentives to encourage conservation without disproportionately burdening low-income households.
• Smart water infrastructure, including AI-powered leak detection and real-time water monitoring, to optimize distribution systems.

The session also examined the social dimensions of water crises, focusing on vulnerable populations such as low-income communities, smallholder farmers, and marginalized groups, that are disproportionately affected. Strategies to improve water security included: 

• Behavioral change campaigns to promote water-saving habits at the household level.
• Water reuse and recycling innovations to reduce freshwater dependence.
• Education and capacity-building programs to equip communities with the knowledge and skills needed to manage water resources effectively.

A recurrent theme that emerged from the discourse was that society’s capacity to cope with water crises depends on collaboration across multiple sectors – from government agencies and private industries to scientific institutions and grassroots organizations. The session emphasized the need for adaptive, inclusive, and forward-thinking water policies to ensure that societies are prepared for the impacts of a changing climate and the associated uncertainties. It also became apparent that scientific solutions are often developed, but an uptake by policy needs to be reinforced to better valorize them.

Intergenerational dialogue: Reflections on valorizing water research

As a novel format, the WRHC invited water researchers from different backgrounds and career stages to discuss points they consider as undervalued but crucial to overcome the water crisis. Specifically, they discussed which aspects of water research currently have the highest value and which aspects should be more valorized to enhance the impact of water research and to help solve the water crisis.

The panel identified several crucial approaches to enhance the valorization of water research:

1. Transforming academic (e)valuation: Participants argued for a fundamental shift in how research is assessed. Traditional metrics like publication counts and impact factors should be supplemented with broader criteria that measure societal impact, policy influence, transfer activities, science management, and practical implementation. This approach recognizes that scientific value extends beyond academic citations.

2. Recognizing the worth of transmitting knowledge to the next generation: Teaching activities at universities or schools, mentoring of students, as well as local community engagements were seen as undervalued. These activities should be better valorized also when applying for the next scientific position.

3. Enhancing science communication: Effective communication emerged as a critical component of research valorization. The panel stressed the need for structured support systems within academic institutions to help researchers communicate their findings beyond traditional scientific circles. By bridging the communication gap, researchers can more effectively translate complex scientific insights into actionable knowledge.

4. Taking the risk of failure to promote high value gains: Participants highlighted that a mindset change is required to also invest into things that do not have a guarantee of success. Basic research might have a great impact in the future but is hard to valorize now. The change in mentality would also have consequences for the discussion culture, promote uncensored debates and make alternative ideas visible.

5. Collaboration between research, industry and practice: The discussion highlighted the importance of aligning research with real-world needs. While maintaining scientific integrity, researchers must design solutions that are technically feasible and economically viable. This requires closer collaboration between academic institutions, industry partners, and policy makers.

The panel emphasized the need to expand the academic valorization chain towards a more inclusive and flexible approach to valorizing water research. The Water Science Alliance (WSA) was identified as an important society to speak up for this broader valorization to long-term sustainable water research from basic research to products.

Plenary closing session: From scientific discovery to practical application

The WRHC concluded with a plenary session to highlight successful projects that explicitly addressed transdisciplinary water research, i.e., that found entry in real-world implementation, revealing both promising successes and significant obstacles.

     The highlighted case studies included:

• The FLOW Project, led by Julia von Gönner, demonstrated the potential of citizen science to reliably assess the state of small water bodies. Through intense training and quality assurance as well as standardized stream monitoring protocols, the project generated high-quality data from citizen observations at over 100 sites. The results showed that many small water bodies do not meet the required good ecological status – but highlighted the will and capacity of citizens to engage with the assessment and support regulatory monitoring.

• The KAHR Project, presented by Robert Jüpner, accompanied the reconstruction of flood damages caused by the flood disaster in 2021 in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate with scientific insights and helped in shaping these regions future-proof and climate-resilient. It focused on emergency management training, emphasizing decentralized responses and collaborative approaches with NGOs.

The discussions revealed three critical challenges influencing the successful translation of water research results into practical applications:

1. Practitioner engagement: There is no universal formula for motivating practitioners. Success depends on robust networks, idealistic commitment, and political support. Citizen science initiatives and living laboratories have shown promise in bridging the gap between research and practice.

2. Adoption challenges: The integration of innovative approaches into formal standards is notably slow. On average, it can take five or more years to incorporate new methodologies into established guidelines, such as those set by the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA).

3. Overcoming barriers: Survey insights highlighted persistent challenges including regulatory hurdles, communication gaps, and time constraints. Projects like the Drausy Tool (https://drausy.de) demonstrated potential by rather simple and cost-effective solutions for improving water quality but struggled with efficient regulatory integration.

The session underscored a fundamental truth: sustainable water solutions require robust partnerships between scientific research, practical implementation, and policy frameworks. Success hinges on investing in collaborative networks, providing comprehensive training, and creating more adaptive regulatory environments.

Conclusions and outlook 

The 14th Water Research Horizon Conference comprehensively explored the multifaceted challenges of water security. It revealed that this is a complex issue that requires unprecedented collaboration and innovative thinking. The discussions covered critical aspects of water management, from ecological sustainability to societal resilience, while emphasizing a crucial emerging theme: the strategic valorization of water research.

The conference emphasized that ensuring water security is a fundamental societal challenge that transcends traditional disciplinary and sectoral boundaries. Key insights highlighted the importance of:

1. Holistic water resource management: Balancing human water needs with ecosystem health requires integrated approaches that consider the entire terrestrial water cycle with its natural storages and flows across its surface and subsurface compartments, sustainable agricultural practices, blue-green-red urban development and innovative water allocation frameworks.

2. Ecosystem-centered water quality solutions: Addressing water quality demands moving beyond point-source interventions to comprehensive ecosystem-level strategies, including source control, nature-based solutions, long-term monitoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

3. Research valorization and implementation: The conference offered a critical perspective on the translation of scientific knowledge into practical action. This involves: 

   • reimagining academic evaluation metrics,

   • enhancing science communication capabilities with the civil society as a whole,

   • fostering closer collaboration between research, industry, and policy makers, and

   • developing innovative strategies that accelerate implementation by bridging scientific discoveries and practical applications (e.g., solution labs).

4. Societal Adaptation and Resilience: The discussions showed that coping with the worsening water crisis requires adaptations from society. Versatile approaches need to be developed that include: 

   • sustainable water management practices and multi-level water governance,

   • investing in water infrastructure, promoting water conservation and technological innovations to increase water-use efficiencies,

   • public education, awareness campaigns and behavioral change initiatives, and

   • capacity-building programs for vulnerable communities.

The persistent message was clear: water security demands an adaptive, inclusive, and forward-thinking approach. This requires dismantling traditional boundaries between scientific disciplines, policy frameworks, and practical implementation. The Water Research Horizon Conference not only diagnosed the complex challenges facing water management but also charted potential pathways forward. By emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and the strategic valorization of research, the conference provided new approaches for addressing one of the most critical global challenges of our time.

As climate change and environmental pressures intensify, the insights from this conference serve as a crucial roadmap. They remind us that solving water crises requires more than technological solutions; it necessitates a reimagining of our relationship with water as a shared, precious resource that sustains both human societies and natural ecosystems. In this context, a new generation of cross-sectoral strategies, such as the German National Water Strategy, which has evolved from an extensive national water dialogue, and upcoming policy frameworks such as the EU Water Resilience Strategy, signal a transformative shift. By embedding resilience, circularity, and cross-sector integration into national and EU water governance, these strategies exemplify how science-policy collaboration, interdisciplinary knowledge, and stakeholder engagement can merge into actionable pathways for long-term water security. Such integrated strategies mirror the conference's call for system-wide responses, making clear that the future of water lies in uniting innovation, equity, and ecological stewardship.

Next Water Research Horizon Conference will be hosted in collaboration with the Ruhr University Bochum on September 29 & 30, 2025. Headlining “Challenges towards sustainable urban water cycles”, 15^th WRHC will be all about urban water systems as they are at the frontline of multiple environmental, social and infrastructural challenges. Innovative and interdisciplinary approaches are needed to safeguard water quality, ensure public health, and foster resilience and sustainability in urban environments. Four thematic sessions and the comprehensive keynote “Managing urban flood risk and building resilience in a changing climate” by Qiuhong Tang (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Beijing) will provide a framework for interdisciplinary discussion to create a resilient and inclusive water economy.

Download the programme of 14. WRHC as PDF

Programme 14. WRHC_en