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Abstract

Water resources are essential yet increasingly vulnerable to overuse. Despite the importance, public understanding of water issues remains limited, often due to communication barriers between scientists and diverse audiences. This study addresses this gap by exploring how water scientists in Kansas communicate their science, perceive water challenges, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams. Thematic analysis was used to uncover key insights from 21 qualitative interviews. Findings revealed that water experts regularly engage with diverse audiences and collaborate across disciplines; however, most lack formal communication training. Based on these results, it is recommended that organizations partnering with water experts develop training programs to enhance communication skills. These programs should emphasize audience engagement, message clarity, and collaboration to strengthen the public's understanding of water science. Future research should further explore experts’ perception of Kansas water issues and how these interpretations may influence their communication efforts.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

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