Water-IQ matters as water conflicts mount

Water crises fuel conflicts that confound efforts to solve the underlying water crises. Water diplomacy is more effective at defusing such conflicts when the parties involved share at least a common understanding of the water involved. We argue that basic, but still up to date knowledge of where water is and how it moves is so important for finding common ground in water conflicts that this knowledge deserves a name of its own—the Water Intelligence Quotient or Water-IQ. Science has advanced, and what people learn about the water cycle needs to reflect that. Two keystones of Water-IQ are awareness of how profoundly people have influenced the water cycle and the atmospheric teleconnections that move water between geographic regions. Given the importance of evidence-based knowledge of the water cycle when trying to overcome water conflicts and seek a basis for water cooperation, Water-IQ knowledge needs to be spread widely. This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water Governance Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented.