The Water Management System of Augsburg: UNESCO World Heritage Property, Global Practice Example and Role Model

Authors

  • Christian Schaller World Heritage Office in Augsburg

Downloads

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.12

Keywords:

UNESCO World Heritage, water management system, urban water landscape, water stewardship, sustainable hydropower

Abstract

The buildings and infrastructure of the UNESCO World Heritage property, the Water Management System of Augsburg, document the use of water resources over the course of 800 years. The system embodies sustainability and is recognised for its innovative solutions. The foundation for its management is the 2019 management plan, developed for the site’s UNESCO nomination. Building upon this foundation, the City of Augsburg implemented its Klimawandelanpassungskonzept (Climate Adaptation Plan) in 2022. This subsequent program focuses on urban resilience and sustainable development, linking directly to the World Heritage property by identifying “water” as a key action field. Current responses to climate challenges, closely connected to the Augsburg World Heritage property, include three EU projects: Licca Liber, LIFE, and Contempo2, which aim to restore the Lech River and surrounding floodplain habitats.

How to Cite

Schaller, C. (2025). The Water Management System of Augsburg: UNESCO World Heritage Property, Global Practice Example and Role Model. Blue Papers, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.12

Published

2025-11-17

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Water Management in World Heritage Properties at a Time of Climate Change

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Christian Schaller

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Christian Schaller, World Heritage Office in Augsburg

Christian Schaller is a cultural scientist and staff member at the World Heritage Office in Augsburg, where he is responsible for presenting and educating the public on the Water Management System of Augsburg. He has previously worked for several museums and academic chairs. In 2024, he successfully completed his doctoral dissertation, “Cultural Sustainability and Urban Development in Southern German cities,” at the University of Augsburg.

References

Häußler, Franz. 2015. Wasserkraft in Augsburg. context verlag Augsburg.

Herrmann, Corinna. 2024. “Das Klimawandel-Anpassungskonzept der Stadt Augsburg und seine Bedeutung für das Welterbe.“ In Kulturerbe Klimazukunft Wertekonflikte. Gemeinsam getragene Lösungswege im Kontext der Zukunftstauglichkeit von UNESCO-Welterbestätten: Augsburg, Hamburg, Regensburg, edited by Matthias Ripp, Antonia Hager, Bernd Paulowitz and Nils Scheffler. Schnell + Steiner.

Ottilinger, Franz. 2017. “Trinkwasser aus Augsburg. Premiumprodukt durch nachhaltige Wasserpolitik.“ In Augsburg und die Wasserwirtschaft. Studien zur Nominierung für das UNESCO-Welterbe im internationalen Vergleich, edited by Stadt Augsburg. context verlag Augsburg.

Settele, Matthias. 2024. “Das Augsburger Wassermanagement-System. Eine historische Verbindung mit Wasser in Zeiten des Klimawandels.” In Kulturerbe Klimazukunft Wertekonflikte. Gemeinsam getragene Lösungswege im Kontext der Zukunftstauglichkeit von UNESCO-Welterbestätten: Augsburg, Hamburg, Regensburg, edited by Matthias Ripp, Antonia Hager, Bernd Paulowitz and Nils Scheffler. Schnell + Steiner.

Stadt Augsburg. 2019. Das Augsburger Wassermanagement-System. Nominierung zur Eintragung in die UNESCO-Welterbeliste. Managementplan.