VIDI grant for Johanna Koehler

We are happy to announce that Johanna Koehler, Associate Professor of Environmental Risk Governance with our Public Administration and Policy Group, receives a VIDI grant from the Dutch Research Council’s (NWO) Talent Scheme for her UnderPRESSURE project on ‘Transformation under pressure: Harnessing plural risk images for governing urban water crises’.

What is this research about?

In this 5-year project she will investigate Day Zero events, where cities announce they will soon run out of water. Climate change has a substantial impact on the frequency in which they occur. They are magnets for societal attention, but to what extent does anything change by announcing such a crisis, how and why? UnderPRESSURE explores how different societal and political actors perceive and frame the risk of acute water crises and how these ‘risk images’ influence opportunities for transforming the water system.

Crucial decisions have to be made in Day Zero cities: Should everyone’s water be rationed equally? Should investment be made in re-using wastewater? Should water provision be privatised? At stake in the project is the advancement of scientific insight into whether and how pending or actual crises work as inflection points for transformation.

Sustainability transformations at times of crisis

In UnderPRESSURE Johanna and her team will analyse critical Day Zero events from across the world – in Cape Town, Chennai, Bogotá, Mexico City, Barcelona and Bengaluru – to understand how different risk images of acute water scarcity influence the way policymakers, companies, and citizens respond to these risks. In particular, she will explore how bridging different views on water scarcity can make space for sustainable solutions in tackling urban water crises. Participatory foresight and evidence-informed deliberation processes will enable societal participation in decision-making and the development of practical tools for policy design.

At a time when drought risk increases the pressure on drinking water supplies around the world, the project aims to advance knowledge on the role of risk governance in sustainability transformations. Collaborations with global partners and city governments will ensure the research contributes to developing strategies for governing urban water scarcity in the future.