Parallel Worlds of the Energy Transition: Justice, Infrastructure, and Uneven Futures in Africa

Our session will embody the central theme by examining how artificial intelligence and digital twins can serve as catalysts for integrated water resource management in Africa. We want to establish a concrete dialogue between scientists, public policy practitioners and indigenous knowledge holders in order to co-create tools for monitoring and anticipating water crises.  This cross-disciplinary approach is essential. Science provides predictive models, while local knowledge offers a deep understanding of ecosystems and traditional warning signs. Political actors, for their part, ensure that solutions are integrated into planning and emergency mechanisms. By explicitly linking these three spheres of knowledge, our session aims to transform technological innovation into an operational action plan, with a view to strengthening the resilience of communities and economies in the face of water and climate stress.  We therefore favour an approach that goes beyond theoretical debate to focus on the co-production of concrete roadmaps, perfectly aligning research and innovation with the real needs of policy integration for sustainable impact.