FOCUS

Public design for water

Water is essential for nature and for humans. Sufficient water of sufficient quality is also needed for food production, the economy, public health, comfort, security and the quality of the living environment. At the same time, water is closely interconnected with other systems, such as those for land, food, energy as well as ecosystems. In all of these systems we are confronted with important challenges related to climate change, digitalisation, biodiversity loss, and housing shortage. We have responded to these challenges by committing ourselves to sustainability transitions, such as the energy transition, the agricultural transition, climate adaptation and the transition to a circular economy. Safeguarding the values of water within all these interconnected developments requires an integrated approach, in which all stakeholders are involved. Public Design for Water provides this approach.

Public design for water

KWR applies Public design for water to realise this desired integrated approach. Public design is based on design thinking and is centred on the stakeholders, from end-users to colleagues and other interested parties. They all set to work together in a co-creative and iterative process. They first produce a rigorous problem definition, and only then do they focus on solutions and jointly elaborate tangible concepts and prototypes, which are immediately testable in the real world. KWR combines Public design with specialist water knowledge to produce Public design for water. KWR researchers apply Public design to integrated transition issues in geographic areas, working, among others, for and with provincial strategic advisors. At the same time, they unlock the valuable and specialist water knowledge that is needed to produce viable solutions. Depending on the specific problem concerned, KWR researchers reinforce the design process with expert knowledge about ecology, eco- and geohydrological analyses, water system solutions, treatment technologies, water quality and health.

Public Design for water-related transition issues

KWR has extensive experience in the Public design approach and methods, not only within international research programmes, but also through activities that we directly undertake for provinces, municipalities, Water Authorities and water utilities. We assist strategic advisors, stakeholder managers, policy-makers and decision-makers in consciously steering towards targeted changes and thereby resolving complex issues. Public design for water offers different solution pathways. Which approach can we use to help you make progress with your transition issue?

Here the focus is on gaining insight into the problem perceptions, needs, risk perceptions and values of stakeholders. For this, we apply methods such as serious gaming and action research. Read more.

  

In this knowledge field we work on future visions and strategies to realise them. To this end, we apply methods such as participative scenario planning, backcasting and water system analyses. Read more.

  

How citizens and customers think about important water and other issues plays a big part in the choice of solutions. We investigate this with methods like surveys, focus groups and field trials. Read more.

 

In this knowledge field, we develop concrete and area-specific measures and solutions based on specialisations like ecohydrology, with methods including water system analyses, models, simulations, and Sankey diagrams. Read more.

Deze maatschappelijke opgave omvat:

  • System knowledge about the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus
    Public design for water Public design for water

    System knowledge about the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus

    Land, food, energy, water and ecosystems are linked together in the so-called WEFE (water-energy-food-ecosystem) nexus, and form interconnected socio-metabolisms at different scales. Within Public Design for Water, we work in an area-focused and integrated manner. The region is often...

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  • Customer perspective and behavioural research
    Public design for water Public design for water

    Customer perspective and behavioural research

    In the transition to a more water-aware society, it is essential to listen to and fully understand drinking water customers. How do these customers view drinking water and water conservation? What do customers expect from their drinking water...

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  • Futures studies and strategy development
    Public design for water Public design for water

    Futures studies and strategy development

    For the timely recognition of threats and opportunities, and, as a society, to react to them effectively, we need to explore the future. Within Public Design for Water, the ‘Futures Studies and strategy development’ knowledge field focuses specifically...

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  • Social environment and area planning processes
    Public design for water Public design for water

    Social environment and area planning processes

    We live in a time of transitions and changes, both in organisations and in the physical environment. We have aspirations in the area of climate adaptation, the water transition, the energy transition and biodiversity. At the same time,...

    Lees verder over Social environment and area planning processes