The 2nd International Sociohydrology Conference

Regenerative Nature = Regenerative Governance
Water as Power for Systemic Urban Transformation
Our climate crisis manifests as water – in its absence, in its excess. But what if we reframed this existential threat as our most powerful catalyst for change? Water isn't merely a problem to solve; it's the medium through which we can reimagine urban futures. In Bangkok, where monsoons expose the fragility of failure in land-based urbanism, we are reimagining water not as a problem to control, but as a partner in regeneration. As landscape architects on the climate frontline, we see every flood-prone neighborhood and every overburdened canal as an opportunity to pioneer a new paradigm—one where cities work with water rather than against it.
This is more than resilient infrastructure; it is regenerative governance in action. When designed as living systems, parks like Chulalongkorn Centenary Park become sponges that mitigate floods while creating public value. When governed as shared resources, neglected canals like Chong Nonsi transform into community anchors that reconnect neighborhoods to their waterways. The lesson is clear: true transformation happens when technical solutions merge with people and community agency, when policies align with ecological logic, and when water stewardship becomes civic practice.
The challenge ahead is not just better engineering, but rewriting the social and political contracts that shape our cities. It demands that we view every raindrop as potential—for cooling streets, nourishing urban farms, and revitalizing communities. In Bangkok’s struggle with water lies a blueprint for cities worldwide: the path to climate resilience runs not through concrete barriers, but through regenerative landscapes designed with water as co-author. Join me in redefining what urban futures can flow from this elemental power.

Integration of hydrological knowledges: Physical, social and human hydrology
Makoto Taniguchi 
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Japan

Water values which consist of resources, environment, culture, circulation and others, have been changed through the social transformations such as agricultural civilization, industrialization, green revolution, urbanization, and globalization. As easy-to-understand values such as efficiency and simplicity are spreading in Anthropocene, the view of water as resource is becoming stronger. On the other hand, the view of the environment and culture is becoming weaker. This may be caused by disconnection of the values of water between humanity, society and nature.
  Water is also connected with other resources and environment such as food and energy. The 70% of fresh water is consumed by agriculture production, and more than half of the cost for water allocations and treatments is energy sector. Therefore, water is highly connected with food and energy, as well as economy and environment through global trade. These invisible causality and connections through water among productions and consumption have been increased “externality” of the water in Anthropocene, then internalization of the water is necessary as nexus including the tradeoff and synergy for sustainable society by connecting nature, society and humanity.
Some examples of the integration of hydrological knowledges are discussed as 1) physical, 2) social and 3) human hydrology. The first example is the linkage of 1) water quality in the canals which is caused by micro groundwater flow in Bangkok, 2) protection of the temples from the flooding, and 3) human belief as religion. The second example is the connectivity of 1) earthquake and flooding as disasters in Japan, 2) water use and supply in emergency situations of society, and 3) human norms which are visualized during the disasters. The third example is the linkage of 1) groundwater as resources and environment, 2) protection of water resources by narratives, and 3) connection between selfishness and altruism.
It is important to connect three relationships among nature, society and humanity. The relationship between A) humanity and society on the water can be categorized by internal and external as well as individual and collective. IPBES report on the value assessment show the different world views of relationship between B) humanity and nature, such as living “from”, “in”, “with” and “as” nature. Relationships between C) society and nature on the water can be classified by anthropocentrism and ecocentrism as well as individual and collective.
World views of the water show the basic values and norms depending on the different humanity-nature-society relationships with different values between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism as well as human-nature separationism and non-separationism. Upstream communities usually do not concern the downstream, however downstream communities care and demand to the upstream. To integrate physical, social, and human hydrological knowledges including the concepts of near-far water and fast-slow water, it is important to make linkage between individual and collective as well as interior and exterior of the human being, society, and nature, based on the values, behaviors, culture, and system.