Aquatic ecosystems have been degraded more than any other ecosystem in the world. Concurrently, human populations are increasing their demand on available ecosystem services. Aquatic ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services such as water (drinking water, irrigation, and process water), sewage disposal, water purification, hydropower, recreation, and tourism. However, the availability of these resources cannot keep pace with the increasing demands of rapidly urbanising societies. Since 2007, there are now more people living in cities than in rural landscapes. This geographical shift is leading to the spatial and structural decoupling of human demand and aquatic ecosystem service provision.

Freshwater ecosystems are intrinsically connected to their surrounding landscapes and are now perceived as “riverscapes” in the scientific community. Ecosystem integrity tends to decrease in urban societies, which may cause significant threats to human wellbeing in the near future. In this workshop, we will contrast the needs of urbanised societies with the status and potential of aquatic ecosystems to identify future research challenges and societal solutions for a rapidly changing world.