Session US5

US5 | Have we broken the Earth’s water cycle? Pathways from Planetary Boundaries to local Safe Operating Spaces

Have we broken the Earth’s water cycle? Pathways from Planetary Boundaries to local Safe Operating Spaces

Convener: Andrea Castelletti | Co-conveners: Maria-Helena Ramos, Trine Jahr HegdahlECSECS, Michiel Blind, Taher Kahil

Programme

| Wed, 06 May, 10:45–12:30 (CEST)

Room E1

The planetary boundaries framework defines a safe operating space for humanity, measuring with indicators and thresholds how pressures on the environment have destabilized the Earth system with profound consequences for environmental health, economic development and social equity. The freshwater boundary, initially defined as consumption of no more than 4000 cubic kilometres of freshwater per year, has now been considered transgressed. Yet this global figure conceals essential details: how are pressures spread across regions and sectors, and how do surface and groundwater each contribute? If these combined pressures are indeed disrupting the Earth’s water cycle, what actions can we take to bring it back onto a sustainable path?

This Union-wide Symposium brings together diverse perspectives on how water, land use and ecological systems, respond across levels to climate change and changing human activities, from the global dimension to national policies and local river basin management. The discussion will highlight both research advances and operational strategies that the geoscience community can mobilize to confront these challenges, empower stakeholders, and identify pathways to more sustainable management within the planet’s freshwater boundaries.

On-site participation from:

Panellists:

Lan Wang-Erlandsson, Associate Professor in Sustainability science at Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), Stockholm University, Sweden.
Alfonso Acosta Gonçalves, Senior Adviser at the United Nations for Sustainable Development, including topics on CLEWs (Climate, Land, Energy, and Water systems), previously Policy Officer on Healthy Planet, Climate & Planetary Boundaries at the European Commission.
Dieter Gerten, Professor and research group leader for Earth Modelling at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and Professor for Global Change Climatology & Hydrology at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Contributed also by:

Trine Hegdahl, Researcher at the Hydrology Department at the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), and Associate professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo.

Public Engager:

Maria-Helena Ramos, Researcher in Hydrology at the INRAE, France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment. Leader of the development of the Safe Operating Space framework of the EU Project STARS4Water.

Moderator:

Andrea Castelletti, Professor of Natural Resources Management and Environmental Systems Analysis at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Leader of the development of the Safe Operating Space framework of the EU Project SOS-Water.

Programme: Wed, 6 May, 10:45–12:30 | Room E1

The oral presentations are given in a hybrid format supported by a Zoom meeting featuring on-site and virtual presentations. The button to access the Zoom meeting appears just before the time block starts.

Chairpersons: Andrea Castelletti, Maria-Helena Ramos

10:45–10:50

5-minute convener introduction

10:50–10:55

Introduction to the Planetary boundaries framework and the Safe operating space for humanity

10:55–11:15

Panelists on their background and contribution to the topic

11:15–11:26

What does it mean to say that the freshwater planetary boundary has been transgressed?

11:26–11:37

What is really pushing us beyond a safe space?

11:37–11:52