Section Introduction: Societal Values and Other Human Dimensions in the Science and Management of Inland Waters: For Whom? By Whom?

This chapter aims to provide a broad overview of human dimensions and their role on facets of inland water research and management. Varied dimensions were woven throughout various chapters of the Encyclopedia's first Edition—from ecosystem services, to recreational uses and aquaculture, to name a few—and societal values and other human dimensions have become magnified in the decade since. The reality is that the world is now a different place with a palpable and measurable shift in the science and management of inland systems. Chief among those has been the intentional inclusion, integration and centering of the broad range of human dimensions from societal values to knowledge co-production and novel frameworks to better incorporate the diversity of knowledges and actors involved in the science and management of inland waters globally. Here we highlight key offerings featured in this thematic section while also acknowledging the gaps in coverage and existing knowledge. We also feature an examination of the community of scientists, managers and practitioners globally, and touch on emerging concepts at the nexus of science and decision-making that we surmise will become more firmly established in the decade ahead. Moving forward, we anticipate more efforts to further connect knowledge systems in an inclusive, equitable manner that will ultimately support transformative change in science and its’ ability to inform and accelerate management decisions at a range of scales.