The cluster aims to connect VU researchers with external stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental organizations, practitioners, citizen communities, universities) that are interested in integrating knowledge and exchange experiences to better address complex water security and water justice issues with a particular focus on the Global South.
Emerging hydro-climatic threats create the urgent need to pay special attention to the societal dimension of the current and future water crises. The research cluster Water Security and Justice (WSJUST) promotes innovative research on complex socio-hydrological challenges through an interdisciplinary, normative and collaborative approach. The cluster objective is to create a network of researchers within the VU that are interested in similar topics and research priorities, while engaging with external academic and non-academic partners.
Several regions of the Global South are facing pressing societal challenges such as water grabbing, water conflicts, water insecurity, water access, and water-related migration issues, representing some of the key research interests of this cluster.
In addition to facilitating groundbreaking research initiatives and partnerships, the WSJUST cluster aims at fostering joint research, teaching synergies and developing creative dissemination activities such as storytelling, videos, and exhibitions. The audience of the cluster is academic and non-academic with the ambition to reach out broadly, targeting policy makers, journalists and developing collaborations with different non-academic organizations such as NGOs and international citizen communities.
The overall work of this cluster will focus and contribute to the SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 16 (peace justice and strong institutions), and SDG 13 (climate action).
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