Uncharted Waters: Scenario Approach to Long-Term Research Priorities

Rapidly developing technologies that can be applied in highly decentralized systems are fundamentally altering the future of the water sector in ways that are impossible to predict. This report addresses what research should be launched today to provide value for a deeply uncertain future by using scenario planning. The goal was to establish plausible futures that will impact the water sector and then “back cast” the research priorities that could be critical to successfully dealing with plausible future needs. This process provided an opportunity to imagine the possibilities and challenges that could plausibly face the industry, and suggest research priorities that might provide essential knowledge and practical solutions to future generations of water professionals. The process was launched in response to the May 2017 WE&RF Interim Research Plan which called for “A board-driven long-term strategic visioning process.”
Published by WE&RF. 60 pages. Online PDF. (2017)

Originally funded as WERF project WRF-17-31.