Water Management Under Pressure in the Anthropocene: New Research Challenges at the Crossroads of Innovation Studies and Water Studies

Faced with growing anthropogenic pressure and climate change, water management is under pressure on our planet, calling for the development of participatory and sustainable innovations. The article shows that water is a particular area for innovation because it is a common, circulating, cross-sectoral resource, and its management closely combines technological, organisational, institutional and social dimensions. A critical analysis of innovations for water management provides a better understanding of the changes underway, taking into account the role of local actors, their practices and knowledge, which contribute to “institutional bricolage”. The article then calls for greater exchange between water studies and innovation studies, pointing to possible areas of research between these two communities. Finally, it introduces the articles in this special issue of the Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, highlighting their complementary contributions to the analysis of innovations in contrasting water management situations around the world.