SURCO workshop

We just wrapped up the SURCO workshop, funded by FORMAS, on Climate Change, Water Scarcity & Biodiversity: How Rural Communities Choose to Be Sustainable at Lund University.

Huge thanks to all the researchers, speakers, and participants who made this two-day exchange so rich and inspiring!

🔑 Key takeaways:

➡️ The climate and biodiversity crisis is a water crisis – and addressing water governance is key to tackling both.

➡️ Biodiversity targets must be integrated into sustainability efforts, especially for rural communities in arid regions.

➡️ Environmental DNA and social maps offer powerful tools for understanding and governing complex socioecological systems.

➡️ Law and institutions can help prevent environmental hazards and build resilience.

➡️ Economic games are emerging as innovative tools for engaging communities in better water management.

➡️ Rural communities are not passive — they respond creatively to scarcity through local knowledge, mapping, and adaptation.

We were proud to feature contributions from Claudia Ituarte-Lima, Leidys Murillo, Cristina Chaminade, Montserrat López, Giancarlo Macchi, Julianne Koch, Kimberly Montañez, Laura Birkhölzer Baquero, and Thomas Gicklhorn — with opening remarks by Erik Bengtsson and Elin Weiler, and facilitation by Andrés Palacio.

The journey continues with fieldwork in La Guajira and Sucre in 2026. Onward! 💧🌱