The ESSP joint Global Water System Project (GWSP) was launched in 2004 to foster understanding of how human actions are changing the global water system and what environmental and socio-economic feedbacks arise from the anthropogenic changes in the global water system. This includes a strong interest in the resilience and vulnerability of patterns of human use of freshwater and in the role of governance systems in managing the resultant activities in a manner that enhances resilience even in the face of occurrences like substantial inter-annual variability in flows of water resources. The core programme of GWSP is implemented in three integrative study areas (ISA): the Global Scale-, the Global Catchment- and the Global Water Needs initiatives. The project addresses Global Water Governance, indicator development and integrated issues like water and migration. It aims at collaborative activities with other joint ESSP projects such as GECHH. Research, scientific activities and events are targeted towards the production of scientifically outstanding and highly policy-relevant results.

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