Send message to Author

Short abstract

Day Zero events, where cities announce an imminent water crisis, are increasing due to climate change. The proposed framework allows examining how diverging risk images influence responses to a water crisis and how bridging different views on water scarcity can make space for sustainable solutions.

Long abstract

Day Zero events, where cities announce they will soon run out of water, are becoming increasingly frequent due to climate change. They are magnets for societal attention, but to what extent does anything change by announcing such a crisis, how and why? I explore how different societal and political actors perceive and frame the risk of acute water crises and how these ‘risk images’ influence practices and opportunities for transforming the water system.

Combining theories of risk governance and transformational change, I present a conceptual framework of risk-based transformational change on how perceptions of risk enable or inhibit transformation. I apply the framework to critical Day Zero case studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe to understand how different risk images of acute water scarcity influence the way policymakers, companies, and citizens respond to these risks.

At stake is the advancement of scientific insight into whether and how pending or actual crises work as inflection points for transformation, in terms of (i) how risk images are aligned or diverge between science, policy, and the media throughout the crisis, (ii) how they trigger policy change, and (iii) how the plurality of risk images can be harnessed for transformative governance pathways towards water security in the future.

Participatory foresight and evidence-informed deliberation processes can enable societal participation in decision-making and the development of practical tools for policy design. The proposed framework enables an understanding of how diverging risk images and responses enable or inhibit transformation of urban water systems under pressure.