Putting locals first: mapping cultural values across rivers of the world

Sustainable river management is one of the greatest challenges for society, pivotal to water security, food production, and to sustain life in a changing climate.

So far, the relationship between rivers and local populations has played a marginal role in river management choices, leading to a disconnection between society and governance.

This project quantifies the intangible cultural values that link citizens to rivers, answering a critical need to understand how the bond between people and rivers can be a driver for sustainable development by leveraging social change.

I will use questionnaires and participatory mapping approaches to quantify cultural ecosystem services and perception of river-related risks, and compare maps of perception with observed values.

I will then test novel proxies to provide an indication of riverine cultural values, applicable to rivers worldwide, and use them to assess the effects of including cultural values in the management of rivers.

The wide spatial range of cases will capture different ways of relating to nature and how these affect cultural values and risk perceptions.

The insights gained through this research are applicable across a range of issues related to risk and conflict resolution, response and society values, such as flood and drought management, land use impacts, and transboundary water issues.

The project highlights the combined effects of changes in climate, land- and water-use in river conservation and management strategies.