How do we speed up the transition to a futureproof water system, by 2050 at the latest? The Flemish Environment Agency (VMM), De Vlaamse Waterweg, De Watergroep, Aquafin and VITO – Vlakwa have created a space for a group of fresh thinkers to take up this key question in a water arena. They are bold enough not to let the conservative status quo curb them, but to challenge it instead.
Peering through a systemic pair of glasses they scour systems for connections between variables and question the thinking patterns that have slowly but surely become worn in and invisible, in order to pave the way for systems innovation.
But thoroughly thought through ideas also need thorough action to get a firm foothold. Ideas are carried by people. The next step is then to translate a selection of transformative ideas which we called catalysts, into system-innovating projects.
None so blind as those who will not see
Spring is in the air and we can almost smell summer. In recent years, however, the calm of summer has been accompanied by turmoil and the sweet sunny weather has brought more along than just joie the vivre. Considering the current ground water levels it is just a matter of time before we are – for the fifth consecutive year – bombarded with news reports on the apparent effects of drought and lacking water quality. Taps are turned off, fields and gardens dry up, and companies experience troubles due to less available process water.
Signs aplenty that we are too careless of our water and that we don’t completely understand the water system yet. And we never actually have had to as long as there was plenty and it fell from the sky nicely and evenly. Ground water levels are at historic lows because we have organised our system to discharge excess water into sea at large scale in fear of flooding. But also because we haven’t given the soil the time nor the chance to replenish itself, due to increased paving for example.
A pressing need arises to shift to developing a water system that is resistant to climate change. We need to learn how to value water accordingly if we want to keep benefiting from all the tasks it takes up in the future. As a society we have ever increasing expectations from the water system which it can no longer live up to.
Water is the mole
Today we are still too often solving problems at the end of the cycle where an immediate water shortage or surplus occurs. Much like fighting moles in your garden by only clearing away the molehills and restoring the lawn after.
Rethinking a system, however, calls for a radical change of glasses to catch hold of the underlying causes of our water issues. It calls for a systemic pair of glasses, through which we see how causes and effects are clearly emerging from the ecosystem of our society. Because everything affects everything! As the saying goes: the flutter of a butterfly's wing can cause a hurricane around the world.
That requires asking questions differently. But maybe also asking different questions. Perhaps the question shouldn’t be how one can fight moles. Because they are pretty darn useful animals. Perhaps the question should be why do we care so much for a nice lawn, even though it is most certainly not the most environmental-friendly option for a garden.
But how do we speed up the transition into a futureproof water system, by 2050 at the latest? The Flemish Environment Agency (VMM), De Vlaamse Waterweg, De Watergroep, Aquafin and VITO – Vlakwa have created the space for a group of fresh thinkers to take up this key question in a water arena. These types of thinking spaces, free from individual or organisational interests, are essential to determine a sustainable future for water in Flanders. Vlakwa and the VITO Transition Platform (VTP) had the absolute privilege to facilitate the arena process.
Getting a firm foothold
You can explore the systems thinking of the arena through the website and social media. The arena speaks in different languages such as text, poetry, photography and cartoons. Each and every one of them articulates the thirst for a systemic view of water in Flanders.
But thoroughly thought through ideas also need thorough action to get a firm foothold. The next step is then to translate a selection of transformative ideas into system-innovating projects.
We are happy to see the systems thinking of the arena is trickling down to the water landscape and is also being picked up by the press. The newspaper De Tijd published a five-part series on how we can innovate ourselves out of the crisis and the first episode puts systems thinking forward as the foundation for impactful innovation, illustrated by the arena thinking.
In the preface of an issue on water in the De Standaard newspaper on World Water Day, the water arena ideas were also outlined as the way in which the ‘Flauming’ can contribute to boosting the blue age.
