Axel Springer Lecture

The Future of Water

Melting ice sheets and rising seas are just two indicators of Earth’s rapidly changing hydrosphere; many more await. As we navigate the catastrophic effects of climate change—floods, superstorms, extreme rainfall—how can we develop new ways of analyzing these shared conditions? Cymene Howe considers the direct connections between melting Arctic ice and the plight of coastal cities facing sea-level rise. Her concept of “hydrological globalization” offers a set of speculative tools to reimagine how we might confront the dramatic consequences of our watery futures.