Christina Walter M.Sc.

Research assistant
Human Geography and Transition Research
Phone: +49 821 598 2263
Email:
Room: 1009 (B)
Open hours: only by appoinment via e-mail
Address: Alter Postweg 118, 86159 Augsburg

Research interests

  • Political Ecology and Human-Environment Relations
  • Watermanagement
  • Transition and Sustainability Research
  • Digitalisation and Digital Transformation

 

Research Project

Political Ecologies of Digital Water — Towards a critical insight into the digitalisation of the water sector (Working Title)

 

Water, as well as our relationship with water is being transformed to react to the rising demand for water, climate change and water quality issues. The water sector is transitioning towards more sustainable water management, whilst simultaneously encountering the megatrend of digitalisation — which introduces big data analytics, artificial intelligence and other new technologies such as sensors to implement new functionalities for water management. This for example enables the monitoring of water quality and quantity in real time as well as directly engage with the consumers and increase the knowledge of water supply, water demand and other water data which can be used to inform public policy or for new investments.

This transformation of the water sector is often called Digital Water. Digital Water is a new conceptual approach for the management of water systems, through the implementation of sensors, processors and other new technologies.

Applying a Political Ecology approach and combining it with insights from Science and Technology Studies and Digital Geography, this project aims to gain insights into the relationship between water, society and the digital. It is concerned with current developments, discussions and effects following the implementation of digital technologies in the water sector and is separated in three sections. Each section approaches the topic from a different perspective.

 

1 Discourse

The emergence of digital technologies is not only changing the physical structure and organisational practice within the water sector. It also alters and impacts the meaning as well as societies’ understanding of water. This section focuses especially on the discourse over digital water and its impact on societies’ perception of possible future pathways.

 

2 Water Governance

The increasing implementation of digital technologies does not only impact the social relations with water but also the way water is governed and controlled in the future. This section analyses the actors, their aims and interests.

 

3 Theoretical Conceptualisation

This part centres on the definition of digital water, how it is conceptualised and created. This is examined trough Political Ecology as well as insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Digital Geography

Publications

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2020

2024

Walter, Christina (2024): Digital technologies for the future of the water sector? Examining the discourse on digital water. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2023.103918
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI

2023

Schmidt, Matthias, Middendorf, Serge Leopold, Purwins, Sebastian, Walter, Christina (2023): Einleitung.
PDF | BibTeX | RIS
Walter, Christina, Schmidt, Matthias (2023): Political ecological perspectives on an indicator-based urban water framework. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2022.2131156
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI
(2023): The plurality of political ecology: Tagungsband zur zweiten augsburger.forschungswerkstatt.
PDF | BibTeX | RIS
Middendorf, Serge Leopold, Purwins, Sebastian, Walter, Christina, Schmidt, Matthias (2023): Zur Pluralität der Politischen Ökologie.
PDF | BibTeX | RIS

2022

Middendorf, Serge, Purwins, Sebastian, Walter, Christina (2022): Anthropogeographie im Anthropozän, der Anthropos und darüber hinaus: Lektüre von Helmuth Plessner. https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-77-459-2022
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI

2020

Schmidt, Matthias, Walter, Christina (2020): Vom Bauschutt zum Urban Mining.
BibTeX | RIS | URL

Presentations

  • "Of Digtial Flows and Analogue Nature: Critial Perspectives on Smart Urban Metabolism" (zusammen mit Sebastian Purwins), Workshop Urbaner Metabolismus: Das Potenzial der Urbanen Politischen Ökologie für kritische Geographien, Berlin 21.-22.02.2024
  • "Envision the Future of Water in the UK: Exploring Digital Water and its Imaginaries"
    Deutscher Kongress für Geographie 2023, 20.-22.09.2023, Frankfurt am Main.
  • "Digital Water als eine ursprüngliche digitale Akkumulation? Ein theoretisch-konzeptioneller Streifzug zu analogen und digitalen Wassern aus kritisch Geographischer Perspektive" (zusammen mit Serge Middendorf)
    Deutscher Kongress für Geographie 2023, 20.-22.09.2023, Frankfurt am Main.
  • "Digital Innovations for (Ground)water Management: Challenges and Opportunities using the Example of the Strategic Pipeline Alliance"
    Deutscher Kongress für Geographie 2023, 20.-22.09.2023, Frankfurt am Main.
  • "Is the future of water really digital? Analyzing the discourse on Digital Water“
    Tagung „Räume Digitaler Zukünfte“, 16.-18.11.2022.
  • "How is the Future of Water Imagined?" in Environmental Humanities Workshop, 13.06.2022.
  • „Digital Technologies for Water Resilience? Examining the Discourse on Digital Water" in Reframing Water and Climate Resilience Symposium, 27.05.2022.
  • „Political Ecologies of Digital Water“ in Digital Geographies Networking Forum; Geowoche 2021 05.10.-09.10.2021.

Memberships

  • Association of Geographers at German Universities (VGDH)
  • Associate Fellow - Postgraduate of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
  • Member at the German Political Science Association (GPSA)
  • Board Member at  Schwäbisch Geographischen Gesellschaft
  • GreenOffice Augsburg e.V. (Board Member from 2017 to 2019; Advisor 2019 – today)  
  • Alumi of  Fachschaft Geographie Augsburg e.V. 

 

CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Since 10/2020: Research Associate at the Chair of Human Geography and Transition Research, University of Augsburg
 

2018 – 09/2020: M.Sc. Geographie, Universität Augsburg
Title of thesis: Political Ecological Perspectives on an Indicator Based Urban Water Framework

 

2018 – 2020: Research Assistant at the Chair of Human Geography and Transition Research, University of Augsburg

 

2015 – 2018: B.Sc. Geographie, Universität Augsburg
Title of thesis: Political Ecology of Water in Cape Town

 

2017 – 2018: Student Assistant at the Chair of Human Geography and Transition Research, University of Augsburg

 

 

 

Teaching courses

(applied filters: semester: current | lecturers: Christina Walter | course types: all)
name semester type
4. Proseminar zur Vorlesung: Humangeographie 1 winter semester 2024/25 Proseminar
Denkwerkstatt Lehre winter semester 2024/25 Arbeitsgemeinschaft
Das Münchner Werksviertel zwischen Tradition und Zukunft winter semester 2024/25 Exkursion
5. Proseminar zur Vorlesung: Humangeographie 1 winter semester 2024/25 Proseminar

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