Hydrological models are generally seen as neutral, despite acknowledged uncertainties. This notion has several, possibly harmful, consequences. In critical social sciences, non-neutrality in methods and results is an established topic of debate. We propose that in order to deal with it in hydrological modelling, the hydrological modelling network can learn from, and with, critical social sciences. The main lesson, from our perspective, is that responsible modelling is a shared responsibility.

Floods, droughts, and heatwaves are increasing globally. This is often attributed to CO₂-driven climate change. However, at the global scale, CO₂-driven climate change neither reduces precipitation nor adequately explains droughts. Land-use change, particularly soil sealing, compaction, and drainage, is likely to be more significant for water losses by runoff leading to flooding and water scarcity and is therefore an important part of the solution to mitigate floods, droughts, and heatwaves.