Hydrosocial Cycle

WHY IN NEWS?

A session by Trevor Birkenholtz on ‘Water in the Hydrosocial Cycle’, was organised at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai.

ABOUT HYDROSOCIAL CYCLE

• The hydrosocial cycle is based on the concept of the hydrologic cycle, but modifies it in important ways.
• While the hydrologic cycle has the effect of separating water from its social context, the hydrosocial cycle deliberately attends to water’s social and political nature.
• The hydrosocial cycle is a socio-natural process by which water and society make and remake each other.
• Unlike the hydrologic cycle, the hydrosocial cycle reflects water’s social nature.
• The concept directs attention to how water is produced and how it is made known.
• The endeavour commenced through a shared interest among the organisers in the politics of hydrology, and an aspiration to integrate this aspect more fully into the growing and vibrant body of work around political ecologies of water, little of which had hitherto paid much attention to the construction and implementation of hydrological concepts, methods and data.

Prelims Question

Q. Which of the following statements regarding the recent concept of hydrosocial cycle is/are correct?
1. It attends deliberately to water’s social and political nature
2. It directs attention to how water is produced and how it is made known
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to the Prelims Question