![Drinking Water](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2022-02/Photo%2084485736%20%20Drinking%20Water%20%C2%A9%20Riccardo%20Lennart%20Niels%20Mayer%20%20Dreamstime.com_.jpg?itok=ON46V7UC)
The objective of the WAT Group is to provide the scientific foundation needed for addressing the quest for water security across scales and to help bridge science-policy-practice gaps related to water management by leading global efforts on integrated assessment of water resources and exploring transformation pathways towards a water secure future.
Water plays a central role in all human activities and needs to be managed efficiently and sustainably. The WAT Group pushes the boundary of transdisciplinary water science enabled by the institute’s recognized expertise in systems science approaches, to provide the scientific knowledge needed to address the quest for water security. The group aims to lead global efforts on integrated assessment of water supply and demand and identify solutions options that improve water scarcity, ameliorate water quality, and enhance resilience to extreme events, while at the same time engaging with key stakeholders at different levels to translate science into policy.
The group’s research has informed the development of various widely used models, which will continually be refined and extended to enable application and analysis at policy-relevant spatial scales. The group contributes to several IIASA research themes including biodiversity and ecosystem services, production and consumption, technology and innovation, and governance and institutions, by providing the water resources research expertise required for the development of a systemic approach to resolving sustainability issues.
Models, tools, datasets
Projects
Staff
News
![Lancang-Mekong River Basin](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2024-06/dreamstime_l_257136793.jpg?itok=yVcAmdze)
10 June 2024
Analyzing the benefits of transboundary cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin
![AI generated image in the shape of a water drop - concept of scarce resources](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2023-11/dreamstime_m_297185326.jpg?itok=Il12zNon)
28 November 2023
How can we evaluate the quality of global water models?
![Fishermen casting a net in Lake Victoria at a bright sunset. Uganda](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2023-10/dreamstime_m_131894304.jpg?itok=1Sa3IGdM)
03 October 2023
Enhancing knowledge and capacity on water quality in Uganda
Events
Focus
27 June 2024
Supporting sustainable agriculture
![plant microscope](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2024-06/dreamstime_xxl_79845672.jpg?itok=ujOglzrV)
08 November 2023
Adapting water needs for agriculture in South Africa
![Options](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2023-11/dreamstime_xxl_232197942.jpg?itok=OVtpbMSJ)
Publications
Heinicke, S., Volkholz, J., Schewe, J., Gosling, S.N, Müller Schmied, H., Zimmermann, S., Mengel, M., Sauer, I.J, Burek, P. , Chang, J., Kou-Giesbrecht, S., Grillakis, M., Guillaumot, L., Hanasaki, N., Koutroulis, A., Otta, K., Qi, W., Satoh, Y., Stacke, T., Yokohata, T., & Frieler, K. (2024). Global hydrological models continue to overestimate river discharge. Environmental Research Letters 19 (7) e074005. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad52b0. Villani, L., Castelli, G., Yimer, E.A., Chawanda, C.J., Nkwasa, A., Van Schaeybroeck, B., Penna, D., van Griensven, A., & Bresci, E. (2024). Impacts of climate change and vegetation response on future aridity in a Mediterranean catchment. Agricultural Water Management 299 e108878. 10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108878. Ton, M.J., de Moel, H., de Bruijn, J. , Botzen, W.J.W., Karabiyik, H., Friedrich, M., & Aerts, J.C.J.H. (2024). The impact of natural hazards on migration in the United States and the effect of spatial dependence. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 1-19. 10.1080/09640568.2024.2359447. Yu, Y., Bo, Y., Castelletti, A., Dumas, P., Gao, J., Cai, X., Liu, J., Kahil, T. , Wada, Y. , Hu, S., Liu, B., Zhou, F., & Zhao, J. (2024). Transboundary cooperation in infrastructure operation generates economic and environmental co-benefits in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin. Nature Water 10.1038/s44221-024-00246-1. Yokomatsu, M., Schinko, T. , Mochizuki, J. , & Rezai, A. (2024). Climate-related Disaster and Human Capital Investment in the Global South — Household Heterogeneity and Growth. Economics of Disasters and Climate Change 10.1007/s41885-024-00150-8.