Another session in the Women’s Institute’s specialized series on water, entitled “Water Crisis: From Management to Social Conflicts,” was held online on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, with a presentation by Soroush Talebi Eskandari.

The session explored the social dimensions of the water crisis and the challenges associated with water resource management, with a particular focus on the Zayandeh Rud River Basin as a case study.

Talebi Eskandari addressed three main themes. The first concerned the possibilities for bringing about change under current conditions, with particular attention to the role of social capacities, dialogue, participation, and different social actors.

The second theme focused on “traditionalist nostalgia” and critically examined idealized perceptions of water management in the past. The discussion emphasized the need to question narratives that present traditional water management practices as ideal solutions for contemporary challenges without sufficiently considering their specific historical and social contexts.

The third theme addressed “techno-managerial nostalgia,” referring to an approach that seeks solutions to water-related problems primarily through technical expertise, professional management, and top-down decision-making, while potentially overlooking other forms of knowledge, local experience, and community participation.

At the end of the session, participants shared their questions and perspectives and discussed different dimensions of the water crisis, water resource management, and the social conflicts that may emerge around water.

Through this series of specialized sessions, the Women’s Institute seeks to create a space for scientific and interdisciplinary dialogue on water-related issues and their connections with social and environmental concerns.