Socio-hydrology: not a new science, but a recycled and re-worded hydrosociology

摘要

In a recent study, Sivapalan et al. (2012) have claimed to create a newnscience of people and water, aimed at understanding the dynamics andnco-evolution of coupled human–water systems, and termed it asn‘socio-hydrology.’ The basic idea put forwarded by Sivapalan et al.n(2012) for the science of socio-hydrology is that it treats people as annendogenous part of the water cycle, interacting with the system in multiplenways including through water consumption for food, energy and drinkingnwater supply, through pollution of freshwater resources, and throughnpolicies, markets and technology. However, the science of people and watern(or interchangeably water and people) is not new at all; it has existed for atnleast over 30 years (e.g. Falkenmark, 1977, 1979), and there already was/isnalso a name for it in the literature: ‘hydrosociology’ (Falkenmark, 1979;nalso cited and discussed in, for example, Delli Priscoli, 1980). AsnFalkenmark (1979, p. 440) writes, with a more detailed discussion onnhuman–water interactions: ‘The close interaction between man and waternmeans however that also social sciences have to be much more deeplyninvolved in water planning than has yet been the case (Widstrand 1978).nImproved analysis of social consequences of water projects will makennecessary a considerable development of the rather new field ofnhydrosociology’.