WaterPower
  • Research
    • Structure
    • Research Projects >
      • Integrative framework
      • Urban land use change
      • Urban water systems
      • Water security and access to freshwater
      • Water governance and infrastructure
      • Flood risk
      • Urban water metabolism
      • Future transformative pathways
    • Approach
  • News and Events
  • Team
    • Antje Bruns
    • John Akubia
    • Rossella Alba
    • Lara Bartels
    • Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky
    • Anja Hasselberg
    • Maria Kondra
    • Student Assistants
  • Project Partners
  • Publications
  • Communication
  • Field Blogs
    • Summer 2017
    • Summer 2015
    • January 2015
    • Summer 2014
  • Gallery

Approach

Theoretical Framework
WaterPower draws on insights from political ecology, environmental justice and governance research in order to illuminate the relationship between bio-physical and socio-political processes in an era of global change. We will carry out in-depth research, including mapping and modelling of urban expansion and settlements, analyze infrastructure regimes, governance mechanisms and (discourses about) socio-spatial conditions of urban water security, while also exploring the dynamics between urbanization and aquatic ecosystem services and disservices.
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Transdisciplinarity

Complex socio-environmental challenges call for the integration of knowledge from both science and society to explore new strategies and opportunities towards sustainability transformations. Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science sets the basis for such collaboration and co-production of knowledge that is relevant to society.
Transdisciplinarity 
“a reflexive research approach that addresses societal problems by means of interdisciplinary collaboration as well as the collaboration between researchers and extra-scientific actors”
- Jahn  et al. (2012)
Within WaterPower, we apply an inter- and transdisciplinary approach through (a) the creation of an interdisciplinary team and collaborative problem framing that includes the perspective of local stakeholders, (b) the co-production of knowledge that is solution-oriented and (c) the re-integration of new knowledge in both science and society.

Various activities contribute to this process:
  • Weekly interdisciplinary colloquia within the research team and academic experts
  • Early stakeholder involvement and continuous interaction through yearly workshops and long-term stays in Ghana
  • In-depth interdisciplinary research by the PhD researchers employing various methods but drawing on a shared conceptual frame
  • Participatory research methods in Accra - such as family portraits and scenario workshops
  • On-going dialogue and a reflexive approach towards research methods and collaboration processes in transdisciplinary research
  • Development of web-based tools, videos, handbooks, digital maps, policy briefs, newsletters and the organization of “world café” events both in Berlin and Accra
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Referenced Works
Jahn, Thomas; Matthias Bergmann; Florian Keil (2012): Transdisciplinarity: Between mainstreaming and marginalization. Ecological Economics, Vol. 79, July 2012, 1–10 dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.04.017

Contact Us
Governance & Sustainability Lab
Faculty VI - Regional and Environmental Sciences

Prof. Dr. Antje Bruns 
Trier University 
Phone: +49 (0)651/201-4550
Email: waterpower@uni-trier.de

Website ISSN 2509-8160



The WaterPower project is funded by:
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