Special session: Governance of transboundary waters: roles of young professionals

Abstract

The effective governance of transboundary waters requires an integrated and interdisciplinary approach. In order to make sense of the complexity of systems, such as transboundary river basins, there has been a legacy of rationalising this complexity into silos of understanding based on academic disciplines. These disciplines; natural, social, economic and political sciences; all utilise a different language and have evolved from different philosophies, and are often in direct conflict. There is now, however, increasing recognition that a holistic and more integrated approach to understanding complex systems is needed and a move towards inter- and transdisciplinary research programmes. Although necessary for in-depth understanding and effective governance of transboundary waters, this integrated and interdisciplinary approach poses some challenges. Young professionals need to develop the ability to understand the epistemologies of the natural, social, economic and political sciences in order to be able to bridge the conceptual gaps between these disciplines and to identify institutions and mentors that support such interdisciplinary research.