The Hydrosocial Cycle analysis (HSC) will uncover the interactions between water, social power and infrastructure in WP 4.
HSC is an innovative approach integrating the macro-level processes of (urban) hydrology and climate change with the micro/actor-level of social behaviour and power relations. Cause-effect relationships in the articulation of water resource availability and social demands will be analysed combining political ecology and human geography approaches. Questionnaires (targeted at end-users) and semi-structured interviews (targeted at managers) will be used to deepen on issues such as tourist perception towards water usage and their willingness to change it, as well as their socioeconomic background and cultural perspective’s influence in their water consumption. Narrative analysis and mixed-method research (including statistics and mapping) will be used in order to fix a tourist’ profile focused on individual and collective behaviour. The HSC will offer a critical approach that prompts us to consider how water internalizes and reflects tourism sector demands that might be otherwise remain invisible for end-users and managers. In addition, HSC will provide insights into patterns of support of and resistance against possible interventions.

Schematic of the hydro-social cycle approach