Transdisciplinary research on water security in transboundary river basins

Wicked problems, such as water security, require a shift to transdisciplinary research by bringing disciplinary perspectives, conducting participatory research, and developing case-specific solutions. Translational research (TR), one of the transdisciplinary approaches, was applied in our study to translate the broad theoretical framework and research implications of water security into practical considerations, priorities, and actionable measures to better define the research-policy-society interactions that emerged in the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia and the Mira-Mataje basin in Latin America. The implementation of TR revealed notable differences in the water security priorities of the two case studies; however, there are similarities regarding increasingly competing water needs, the urgency of rehabilitating and expanding aging and limited water infrastructure, low preparedness for climate-related hazards, and weak water governance mechanisms. The application of TR in transboundary basins reveals the need for knowledge synthesizers and knowledge brokers to bridge the gap between research, policy, and society.