The “Water Problem”

It is impossible to escape the impression that, since the close of the nineteenth century, science has been increasingly motivated by questionable standards. Instead of designing experiments for the sheer pursuit of knowledge, scientists are compelled to maximize their likelihood of securing money and attention, to fit the demands of society as described in the solicitations of governmental funding agencies or to fit the topics trending in corporate board rooms (or, sometimes, on social media). Rarely do we see the Galilean figure of a scientist today, advancing the boundaries of human knowledge against the metaphorical slings and arrows of the cultural climate. Often, arguably, scientists find themselves crafting and enhancing literal slings and arrows, as research is co-opted by military agencies with publicly funded coffers. Science now stands proudly in the service of society, advancing projects that, while driven by a quest to improve our daily lives, may underestimate the true value of science. How can science pursue an empirical truth that fails to serve the society, or worse still, contradicts social norms or expectations? This seems most problematic in disciplines concerned with the fundamental resources that sustain life. Thus, water science in the service of society may aggravate problems at the heart of natural resource management, associated disciplines in natural and social sciences, and of course hydrology itself.