“Panta Rhei—Everything Flows”: Change in hydrology and society—The IAHS Scientific Decade 2013–2022

TLDR

The IAHS Scientific Decade 2013‑2022, titled Panta Rhei—Everything Flows, focuses on how changing hydrological systems interface with society, influencing water security, safety, development, and environmental management priorities. Its purpose is to refine understanding of water‑cycle processes and improve predictions of water‑resource dynamics to support sustainable societal development, while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with socio‑economic sciences and geosciences. The decade will develop innovative theoretical blueprints for representing changing processes and employ advanced monitoring and data‑analysis techniques. This paper summarizes the Science Plan, outlining its targets, research questions, and expected outcomes.

Abstract

The new Scientific Decade 2013-2022 of IAHS, entitled Panta RheiEverything Flows, is dedicated to research activities on change in hydrology and society. The purpose of Panta Rhei is to reach an improved interpretation of the processes governing the water cycle by focusing on their changing dynamics in connection with rapidly changing human systems. The practical aim is to improve our capability to make predictions of water resources dynamics to support sustainable societal development in a changing environment. The concept implies a focus on hydrological systems as a changing interface between environment and society, whose dynamics are essential to determine water security, human safety and development, and to set priorities for environmental management. The Scientific Decade 2013-2022 will devise innovative theoretical blueprints for the representation of processes including change and will focus on advanced monitoring and data analysis techniques. Interdisciplinarity will be sought by increased efforts to connect with the socio-economic sciences and geosciences in general. This paper presents a summary of the Science Plan of Panta Rhei, its targets, research questions and expected outcomes.