I wanted to take a moment just to acknowledge two important events that are happening this week. First, historic flooding in Pakistan has displaced millions. Second, in Jackson, Mississippi, flooding has led to the failure of the city’s water treatment plant, leaving the city without drinkable water.
Both of these events are related to climate change and social justice. It will require significant investment to recover from both catastrophes. It will also require, in my opinion, significant advances in our understanding of how to respond to water-based catastrophes. I think that incorporating a cultural approach, in addition to a scientific and policy one, might help us to respond, mitigate, or lessen the effects of these events in the future.
How might this happen? It starts with understanding that we must change our culture around water, and the environment to one that is more sustainable, in combination with new technologies, better risk management, and better policy-making (and I think that a cultural understanding of water might help with the three above ideas).
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Cultural Water Studies 