ReFRESH: Seeds of resilience for freshwater security

Urgent calls for rapid transformation of water governance are increasing1.

At the same time, more than 160 freshwater basins globally have been identified as very highly or highly vulnerable hotspots due to ecological sensitivity, freshwater stress and scarcity, and low adaptive capacity2.

Transformations often start from local or regional, small-scale initiatives, but understanding how to identify the transformative potential of various small-scale initiatives in their early stages, and whether they will contribute to water resilience, security, justice and peace is crucial for those responsible for governing water, and for the overall achievement of the SDGs.

This study will use a realist review method to generate indicators for assessing resilience and transformative potential, and apply those to a diverse range of innovative water initiatives within hotspot basins.

Based on that assessment, the initiatives with the highest potential will be studied further to develop an empirical understanding of the enabling conditions and barriers to transformative pathways that exist across different basin contexts.

Finally, those involved in the initiatives will join a community of practice focused on creating “seeds” that can grow and be scaled for freshwater security.

The community of practice will facilitate peer-peer learning, knowledge co-production, and apply the study’s theoretical and empirical insights to on-the-ground change efforts.