Icons as a Tool to Connect Water Practices, Functions and Values across Space and Time: A Second Attempt

Abstract

Humans have shaped water systems for millennia, creating complex networks of physical structures, institutions and cultural practices. These systems reflect locally embedded yet globally influenced values that evolve over time. From infrastructure and landscapes to rituals and laws, human engagement with water is both tangible and intangible, deeply influenced by societal preferences, climate conditions and historical choices. To better understand this diversity, we developed a set of icons to represent various water spaces, functions, practices and values. Rather than offering a fixed taxonomy, these icons are intended as tools for discussion – making visible the multiple dimensions of water and the meanings knowledge holders assign to it.