c:o/re Senior Fellow 11/24 – 04/25
Ehsan Nabavi is the founder and director of the Responsible Innovation Lab at the Australian National University (ANU) and a Senior Lecturer in Technology and Society at the Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science. His work as a transdisciplinary researcher was featured in the journal Nature, reflecting his academic journey from civil engineer to sociologist and AI researcher. In 2023, he was selected by ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) as one of Australia’s TOP 5 emerging researchers and communicators. In addition to dozens of book chapters, reports, and short communications, Ehsan’s writing has been published in Science, Futures, Sustainability Science, Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Journal of Cleaner Production, Water Alternatives, Environmental Management, Frontiers in Communication, and Water Research. He is also serving as the editor of IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society and Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. Ehsan was a Research Fellow at the ANU School of Cybernetics and in the Science, Technology, and Society group at Harvard Kennedy School.
Cultures of System Modelling in Water Science
System modelling in water science represents a critical site where science, technology, and society converge, allowing policymakers to intervene with the goal of controlling natural systems that are yet to be understood. This often involves using computational models that simulate water systems—such as rivers, aquifers, and entire basins— to allow researchers analyse, predict, and manage the behaviour of these systems, especially during extreme events like droughts and floods. Experts from hydrology, ecology, geology, engineering, and policy studies work within their fields or in interdisciplinary teams to use models that enhance understanding of not only the physical aspects of water resources but also the socio-political factors, engaging with cultural, historical, regulatory, and governance issues.
At the core of these scientific efforts is the notion of ‘system’ as the unit of analysis and governance, which enables modellers to explain life in a basin. This includes imagining, defining, and enacting certain ways in which organisms, structures, and feedback loops influence the formation and dynamics of a river basin. However, the definition of a system can vary significantly depending on the epistemic culture in which it is used and justified, leading to different representations of social and environmental life, and, consequently, to different water futures.
During my fellowship, I will examine this diversity, particularly against the backdrop of AI’s increasing role in transforming traditional water science, which often relies on mechanistic, process-based approaches. My goal is to explore how different cultures of system modelling in water science converge or diverge in their understanding of life within a river basin. Specifically, I will investigate how varying imaginaries, values, and methods legitimise ‘AI’ as a ‘transformative force’ in understanding and predicting phenomena in river basins.
Publications (selection)
Maier, Holger Robert, Taghikhah, Firouzeh Rosa, Nabavi, Ehsan, et al (2024). How much X is in XAI: Responsible use of “Explainable” artificial intelligence in hydrology and water resources. Journal of Hydrology X, 100185.
Nabavi, Ehsan (2022). Computing and Modeling After COVID-19: More Responsible, Less Technical. In: IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 3(4), pp. 252-261.
Nabavi, Ehsan (2022). Who speaks for water in times of crisis? a case for co-production of engineering and governance. In: Frontiers in Communication, 7, 810266.
Nabavi, Ehsan (2017). (Ground) Water governance and legal development in Iran, 1906–2016. Middle East Law and Governance, 9(1), pp. 43-70.
Nabavi, Ehsan, Daniell, Katherine A., & Najafi, Husain (2017). Boundary matters: the potential of system dynamics to support sustainability? Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, pp. 312-323.
