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Rethinking responses to the world’s water crises

Author

Listed:
  • R. Quentin Grafton

    (Australian National University)

  • Safa Fanaian

    (Australian National University)

  • James Horne

    (James Horne and Associates)

  • Pamela Katic

    (University of Greenwich)

  • Nhat-Mai Nguyen

    (Australian National University)

  • Claudia Ringler

    (International Food Policy Research Institute)

  • Libby Robin

    (Australian National University)

  • Julia Talbot-Jones

    (Victoria University of Wellington)

  • Sarah Ann Wheeler

    (Flinders University)

  • Paul Robert Wyrwoll

    (Australian National University)

  • Fabiola Avarado

    (University of Oxford)

  • Asit K. Biswas

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Edoardo Borgomeo

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Roy Brouwer

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Peter Coombes

    (Australian National University)

  • Robert Costanza

    (University College London)

  • Robert Hope

    (University of Oxford)

  • Tom Kompas

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Ida Kubiszewski

    (University College London)

  • Ana Manero

    (Australian National University)

  • Rita Martins

    (University of Coimbra)

  • Rachael McDonnell

    (International Water Management Institute)

  • William Nikolakis

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Russell Rollason

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Nadeem Samnakay

    (Australian National University)

  • Bridget R. Scanlon

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Jesper Svensson

    (Lund University)

  • Djiby Thiam

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Cecilia Tortajada

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Yahua Wang

    (Tsinghua University)

  • John Williams

    (Australian National University)

Abstract

The world faces multiple water crises, including overextraction, flooding, ecosystem degradation and inequitable safe water access. Insufficient funding and ineffective implementation impede progress in water access, while, in part, a misdiagnosis of the causes has prioritized some responses over others (for example, hard over soft infrastructure). We reframe the responses to mitigating the world’s water crises using a ‘beyond growth’ framing and compare it to mainstream thinking. Beyond growth is systems thinking that prioritizes the most disadvantaged. It seeks to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation by overcoming policy capture and inertia and by fostering place-based and justice-principled institutional changes.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Quentin Grafton & Safa Fanaian & James Horne & Pamela Katic & Nhat-Mai Nguyen & Claudia Ringler & Libby Robin & Julia Talbot-Jones & Sarah Ann Wheeler & Paul Robert Wyrwoll & Fabiola Avarado & Asit, 2025. "Rethinking responses to the world’s water crises," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 11-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:8:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41893-024-01470-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01470-z
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