Situating Hydrological Modeling
A Proposal for Engaging With the Power of Models
Rossella Alba (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin)
Rozemarijn ter Horst (Wageningen University & Research, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)
Bich Ngoc Tran (TU Delft - Water Systems Monitoring & Modelling, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)
Anja Klein (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Technische Universität München)
Krystin Unverzagt (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin)
Jonatan Godinez-Madrigal (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)
Andres Verzijl (Universiteit van Amsterdam, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)
Maria Rusca (The University of Manchester)
Jeroen Vos (Wageningen University & Research)
Jean Philippe Venot (Université de Montpellier)
Margreet Zwarteveen (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Tobias Krueger (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin)
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Abstract
A growing scholarship suggests hydrological models have political power as they embed and reinforce specific understandings of water and society relations which, in turn, shape future visions of how and for whom water is to be managed. In this commentary, we explore how the power of models can be explicitly and constructively engaged with, thereby expanding their potential to support transformations to water justice and sustainability. To achieve this, we suggest understanding, analyzing, and doing hydrological modeling as a situated knowledge practice. We take inspiration from feminist scholarship that emphasizes that all forms of knowledge are inherently partial, situated within specific contexts, experiences, and circumstances, and shaped by power relations. Situating hydrological modeling, we argue, requires opening up modeling processes to ask where, how, for whom, and by whom models are developed and used, and how outcomes influence water distributions and conditions of access for different social groups. Situating also opens opportunities to explore what it would take for hydrological modeling to explicitly pursue justice and sustainability goals in context-specific and tangible ways. We present initial insights and invite further experimentation towards making models active agents of a more inclusive, transparent, and transformative water management.
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