Photo: Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
The WSA, of which IGB is a founding member, has published a position paper dealing with the challenges in research and implementation within the context of the National Water Strategy. In particular, it positively highlights the principles of integration, precaution and orientation towards the natural water regime. The researchers recommend that the National Water Strategy be designed and implemented "with courage and foresight" in the coming legislative period.
One key to success would be an intensive dialogue with all relevant groups. "This is a unique opportunity to develop synergies between water science, public administration, politics and user groups in broad cooperation for the shaping of sustainable water and freshwater management in Germany," emphasises Professor Mark Gessner, head of department at IGB and co-author of the paper. New concepts of water management, improved methods of data science and powerful model ensembles could be developed, laboratories under real-world conditions could be set up and conceptual knowledge and data gaps could be closed within the framework of an accompanying long-term research programme. According to the WSA, profound process knowledge and a comprehensive spectrum of methods ranging from molecular analysis of water components to real-time monitoring of hydrological, chemical and ecological system variables at the catchment scale would be available in German research institutions for this purpose.
The position paper on the National Water Strategy "Wasserstandpunkt #1" is available in German language on the WSA website. At its virtual annual meeting on 15 and 16 June 2021, the WSA also published its own strategy framework paper, to which IGB contributed substantially.
