1.2 Exploring Societal Challenges

Let’s start with an example of a societal challenge. Explore the graphic below to gain more insight into what and who could be important when tackling water scarcity, a problem faced by communities around the world. 

Click on the buttons to see examples of factors, actors, and disciplines involved in water scarcity.

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Infographic Transcript (click to expand)

A curved line connects Section 1: FACTORS (natural water availability, water infrastructure, water governance, and water use) at the top to Section 2: ACTORS (water users, water regulators, interest groups, planning and construction experts) in the middle to Section 3: DISCIPLINES (hydrology, social science, law, engineering, economics, public administration, process experts) at the bottom.

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Based on this example, you can now imagine the different interests of the various actors. For example, consider the different perceptions of upstream and downstream communities when planning a river dam, the ways they interact with each other, and the various other factors involved.

Other societal challenges include urban development, land use conflicts, labour migration, and electricity generation among others. Take a moment to consider the factors, actors, and disciplines involved in one of these societal challenges.