A sustainable urban water cycle cannot be realised without widespread support from the residents of the town or city concerned. Moreover water cycle measures have been found to exert a positive effect on traffic problems, spatial development, social segregation and the redevelopment of socially-disadvantaged districts. The aim of this theme is to provide a clear description of these reciprocal effects.

How to bridge water and society was the question the participants of the expert meeting society tried to answer on the 28^th of September in Fryslan. Govert Geldof presented a few examples of the interaction between water and society to introduce the discussion.
Next a solution for this challenge was discussed in small groups. Each group had to write down one statement about how to give form and content to the challenge: how to bridge water and society. In a panel discussion the participants discussed these statements and voted “yes (if they agreed) or no (if they didn’t)”. But it was also a competition: in order to win, the statement had to be the closest to 50% pro and 50% against.

The tree statements made up by the teams where:

- From this moment on technical universities should only be open for children and women”

- You need to ignore the protests of the environmental lobbyists”

- Educate me, listen to me and think outside your pond” (and give me the money!)”

It was a lively discussion, especially because some participants where very focussed on winning the competition. Eventually the second statement (You need to ignore the protests of the environmental lobbyists) won the first price: a very funny ‘fishing game’.