A Scientific Review of the Global Water System

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One of the important new insights of global environmental research has been the recognition of the existence of a global water system . This concept expands the long-accepted concept of the global physical water cycle to encompass biogeochemical, ecological and socioeconomic components. The recent launching of the Global Water System Project (GWSP) by the major global research organizations is a strong signal from the scientific community that key questions about this system need to be urgently studied. The objective of this one year project is to conduct a scientific review of the concept of the global water system by compiling and evaluating existing scientific literature and data bases and carrying out discussions with scientific experts. The review will identify key unresolved research questions. The scientific review will be divided into three parts (I) Describing the physical, biogeochemical, ecological and socio-political aspects of the global water system, (II) Elaborating cross-cutting linkages in the global water system, (III) Identifying major unresolved questions & research priorities. To ensure that the perspectives of developing countries are also taken into account, the Antragssteiler proposes to spend 6 months out of the 12-month project at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore. This will be a fully independent (eigenständiges) and alone-standing project conducted within the framework of the GWSP (of which the Antragssteiler is Co-Chair). It is expected that the scientific review will make a major contribution to setting priorities in global water research over the coming years.