New Science of Socio-hydrology: In Search of Understanding Co-evolution of Humans and Water

Nowadays, such interactions between humans and hydrologic cycle are occurring that has never previously been observed. Feedbacks and interactions between human and hydrological systems show that anthropogenic activities have led to a strong coupling between them and both positive and negative impacts of social developments can affect on hydrological system via management decisions. Although the fact that man and water are linked through a “system of mutual interaction” has been recognized for many years, there has not been quantitative understanding of feedbacks, two-way interactions and evolution and co-evolution concepts of coupling systems yet. These conditions have led to the emergence of a new science of "socio-hydrology" with the aim of understanding "the dynamics and co-evolution of coupled human-water systems", in 2012. Indeed, socio-hydrology is the study of coupled human-water systems based on co-evolution of social and hydrological systems, which analyzes how two-way feedbacks and interactions occur in these systems. Socio-hydrology, that is shaped by economic and policy frameworks, has led the boundaries of hydrology to accept human as an integrated part of the hydrological cycle and represents new advancement in hydrological science, which requires further rethinking.