Understanding the Historical Geography of Water Use in Estate Landscapes: Learning from the Past to Address Present-Day Water Challenges

Authors

  • Elyze Storms-Smeets Gelders Genootschap , Radboud University Nijmegen image/svg+xml

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.1.01

Published

2026-02-13

Issue

Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

challenges, concepts and new approaches

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Elyze Storms-Smeets

Creative Commons License

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

How to Cite

Understanding the Historical Geography of Water Use in Estate Landscapes: Learning from the Past to Address Present-Day Water Challenges. (2026). Blue Papers, 18–29. https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.1.01

Keywords:

drought, floods, country houses, estate landscapes, heritage

Abstract

In the Netherlands, climate change has brought longer periods of drought alongside short periods of more intense rain, prompting planning and heritage professionals to explore new approaches to water management. One promising method is “learning from the past.” Landscape history studies can reveal continuity and change in hydrological practices, offering knowledge, inspiration and potential solutions to today’s water challenges. But what does it mean to learn from the past? Historic knowledge must go beyond simply identifying historic water structures in the landscape. This article focuses on country estates, analyzing these heritage sites as spatial and social ensembles in wider landscape systems. Tracing how water shaped the establishment and development of country houses and estates reveals important dynamics and principles. This deeper understanding of the historical geographical dynamics of water use can help present-day estate owners, governments and spatial planners foster more resilient estate landscapes.

Author Biography

  • Elyze Storms-Smeets, Gelders Genootschap, Radboud University Nijmegen

    Elyze Storms-Smeets (1975) is a historical geographer and landscape historian. Since 2007, she has worked as a senior advisor on heritage and landscape at the Gelders Genootschap. She has combined this with special appointments at the universities of Groningen (2012-2017) and Wageningen (2021-2025). In January 2025, she was appointed as a special professor of Gelderland History at Radboud University.

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