Water-Culture Institute
The Water Ethics Network facilitates sharing of experience, ideas, and information about events and activities relating to water ethics. The Network connects academic researchers with water policy makers and business and civil society organizations. The aim is to bring the study of water ethics into the everyday discourse of water policies and management decisions, so that choices about water use and water ecosystem management are consciously informed by values.
Why a Network?
There is a growing list of studies, initiatives, conferences, and books dealing with the ethical dimensions and dilemmas of water, yet consideration of ethical values, whether the “soft path” of stewardship or more dogmatic notions of deep ecology and rights of nature, is rarely a serious component in water negotiations whether at local or global levels. When push comes to shove, ethics tends to fall off the table. Discussions about climate-induced water scarcity, for example, focuses on meeting human demands with little questioning about the ethics underlying that demand (responsible use) or in allocating scarce supplies to meet that demand. What about the needs of rivers and lakes (and fish) to adjust to climate-induced stress? What about the rights of future generations to enjoy the rivers and lakes that we are depleting?
Part of the reason that the ethical dimension is so often ignored in decision-making is lack of awareness about the role that values already play in setting water policies, and what practical methods could be used to deal with ethics even if we wanted to. There is a growing body of knowledge and experience about both these issues, but that information has not been internalized by the policy-makers. A network linking the good ideas and emerging best practices about water ethics provides greater exposure to individual studies, stimulate new ideas and approaches, and facilitate alliances and partnerships. The net result will be a higher profile of water ethics-awareness among water professionals, academics, environmental groups, businesses, political leaders, and the public at large.
Join the Water Ethics Network!
The Network has its own Water Ethics Network website where you can read the current and past issues of the monthly e-newsletter, see member profiles, download documents on water ethics from the Resources Page, and link to the Network's Facebook page, Linked-in group, and Twitter site. Here's how to get involved:
> Subscribe to the newsletter here.
> Read the latest post on the Water Ethics Blog.
> Visit the Water Ethics Network Facebook Page.
> Join the Linked-In Group on Water Ethics.
> Follow us on Twitter @H2OEthics
Other Activities
In addition to our newsletter and web presence, the Network also engages in (1) outreach through other social media, and (2) organized events.
1. Social Media Outreach. Network interns serve as "Water Ethics Ambassadors" to monitor water blogs and social media sites and offer comments and postings from an ethics perspective. By getting the word out about the role that values play in water decisions, we hope to influence the water discourse, while also attracting more attention to the Water-Culture Institute and the Water Ethics Network. If you are interested in serving as a (volunteer) Water Ethics Ambassador in this way, please fill out the Contact form with your name and email.
2. Organized Events. Depending on finances, the Network hopes to organize, or co-organize periodic events that will explore the topic of water ethics in various ways. If you are interested in partnering and/or supporting such a session, please indicate this on the Contact form and let's see what we can do together!