UGN Strategy

Stakeholder Strategy for Renewing, Enlarging and Strengthening the IAH Urban Groundwater Network

1. Purpose and Context

Urban groundwater is both vital and vulnerable. Across European cities, groundwater systems are strongly influenced by modified hydrological cycles, leakage from drinking water and wastewater networks, and interactions with underground infrastructure. These dynamics pose challenges such as flooding of basements and transport tunnels, subsidence, subsurface contamination, and inefficiencies in wastewater treatment plants. Climate change and urbanisation exacerbate these risks by intensifying extremes of water availability and quality.

Despite its importance, urban groundwater remains underrepresented in planning, monitoring, and decision-making. Many city-scale studies neglect aquifers, lack water balance data, and suffer from fragmented institutional responsibilities. This results in reactive crisis management instead of proactive, science-based planning.

The primary aim of the proposed strategy is to expand and reinforce the international IAH Urban Groundwater Network by engaging a diverse spectrum of stakeholders, from academia, industry, government, and civil society, to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovative solutions for sustainable groundwater management in cities. 

2. Stakeholder Identification and Mapping

Effective management requires recognising the diverse stakeholders with interests, influence, or responsibilities in urban groundwater. Following best practice stakeholder frameworks, stakeholders can be mapped along power–interest lines to prioritise engagement:

High power / high interest (key stakeholders):

• International professional networks (e.g. IAH members, IWA, IGRAC)
• Water utilities and operators (urban supply and wastewater management)
• Geological surveys and hydrogeological research institutes
• Municipal urban planning and geological departments
• EU-level regulators (DG Environment, EEA)

High power / low interest (potential barriers):

• Construction and transport infrastructure developers
• Industrial associations
• National ministries (regional development, housing, finance etc.)

Low power / high interest (partners and beneficiaries):

• Environmental NGOs
• Local communities in flood-prone, subsidence-prone and contamination-prone areas
• Universities and students in urban water engineering

Low power / low interest (general stakeholders):

• Media
• General public not directly affected by aquifer management

This mapping allows tailored strategies: key stakeholders need strong collaboration, barriers require awareness and negotiation, partners should be empowered, and the wider public engaged through communication.

3. Strategic Objectives

• Expand the Network
  • Persuade IAH members in the Urban Groundwater Network
  • Enlarge membership by attracting professionals from underrepresented groups: civil engineers, wastewater operators, energy developers (geothermal), and heritage site managers.
  • Strengthen synergies with IWA (International Water Association) and similar organisations.
• Enhance Knowledge Exchange
  • Facilitate structured collaboration through working groups focused on urban water balance, contaminant pathways, and climate adaptation.
  • Use shared data platforms in line with the EU Open Data Directive.
• Foster Collaborative Research and Projects
  • Initiate joint International and EU-funded projects on Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), and groundwater–infrastructure interactions.
  • Cluster cities with similar hydrogeological challenges to encourage good practice exchange.
• Support Evidence-Based Policy and Planning
  • Advocate for groundwater inclusion in “City Infrastructure Development Plans/Land-use plans/General Urban plans”
  • Provide case studies (e.g. Barcelona, Basel, Krakow, Bucharest, Odense, New Orleans) to demonstrate the avoidance of additional costs when hydrogeology is taken into account or increased costs when it is not included in urban planning.
• Build Public Awareness and Trust
  • Develop clear communication on why groundwater matters for urban resilience.
  • Highlight success stories and demonstrate how proactive groundwater management prevents crises.

4. Engagement Mechanisms

To operationalise the strategy, engagement mechanisms will be structured in two complementary directions:

Direct Contact and Targeted Outreach

• Regular email newsletters, technical briefs, and invitations to webinars.
• Direct engagement with SG members around specific technical challenges, such as establishing accurate urban water balances that integrate surface and subsurface flows.
• Creation of a stakeholder database to track interactions, interests, and contributions

Collaborative Platforms and Activities

• Thematic Webinars & Seminars: Quartely online discussions on key technical problems.
• Workshops and Symposia: Linked to international conferences to attract multidisciplinary audiences.
• Joint Projects: Develop proposals under international funding institutions, Horizon Europe, Interreg, and National Innovation schemes.
• Technical Task Forces: Cross-city teams addressing subsurface flooding, sewer leakage impacts, or geothermal integration. 

5. Communication Strategy

Communication will prioritise openness, clarity, and continuous engagement.

• Narratives and success stories: showcase how cities like London or Barcelona improved resilience through groundwater monitoring.
• Multi-directional communication: encourage input from practitioners (utilities, engineers, local authorities).
• Digital tools: Use collaborative platforms to centralise information and maintain continuity even when individuals rotate out of positions.
• Metrics: Track engagement through participation rates, project co-development, citations of network outputs, and stakeholder satisfaction surveys 

6. Expected Outcomes

By adopting this stakeholder strategy, the Urban Groundwater Network will:

• Renew its relevance by responding to pressing urban climate challenges.
• Enlarge its scope by integrating non-traditional stakeholders in construction, health, and energy.
• Strengthen its impact by delivering actionable science and fostering dialogue between subsurface knowledge and urban planning.

Ultimately, the strategy will reverse the “out of sight, out of mind” paradigm, positioning urban groundwater not as an invisible secondary element, but as a foundation stone of sustainable, resilient, and climate-adapted cities.