water, culture and heritage themes
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Humans have engaged with water in multiple ways, creating physical structures – such as buildings, cities, infrastructures and landscapes–and socio-cultural manifestations – for example, institutions, laws, artistic practices and rituals. They have transformed natural settings in keeping with climate and energy conditions. To understand the diverse conditions of water spaces and heritage, we have created a set of icons to categorize tangible and intangible objects and practices related to water. The icons help us identify different scales, functions and forms of both water management-...
preface
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In 1977 the first UN Conference on Water took place in Mar del Plata, Argentina. We were already aware of the need for water security for all, yet unable to figure out how to get there. The effects of pollution and emissions on climate and the interlinkages with water were not left undiscussed. We also discussed the need for action on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and more. But there was no clear follow up, no roadmap nor institutional capacity, let alone political or societal ownership. Water, always perceived as a sector, continues...
editorial
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The Blue Papers journal provides a platform for the growing network, with the first issues launched in time for the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, 22–24 March 2023, which coincides with the Midterm Review of the UN Water Action Decade. A growing number of people have come to realize that valuing water needs to go beyond technological, political and economic changes. The conference provides the background for a broad exploration of the role that culture, heritage and social practices play in current water challenges, and those they can play to support future inclusive and...
challenges, concepts and new approaches
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At a time of climate change, sea level rise, flooding, drought, and changing groundwater and rainwater patterns, water managers need to adjust their current practices and develop new approaches. Technological innovation remains a key element in adaptation and mitigation; but technological innovation is not enough. Changing water patterns will affect everyone and every structure. How we manage water depends on local conditions, spatial and social developments and cultures as well as decisions of the past. That is why water management needs to go hand in hand with sustainable practices...
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More than ever before, there is an urgent need for people to find a path to more sustainable and resilient development. A looming water crisis has reached the top of the international agenda, exacerbated by climate change, which is most acutely expressed through water. The main changes will be in precipitation and evaporation, with extremes of too much and too little water impacting humans and connected ecosystems. Changes in weather patterns and seasonality as well as the melting of ice will affect the availability of water, including during crop growth seasons. With increasing pressure...
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Heritage and culture not only shape the customary tenure of land and forest resources of most indigenous peoples and local communities in low-income rural areas, but also community members’ mutual relations vis-à-vis their water resources, or, in other words: customary water tenure. Age-old settlement by farm communities or pastoralists’ establishment of nomadic routes vested customary rights to land and the fugitive surface runoff and streams flowing over the lands; soil moisture, wetlands and lakes on the land; and aquifers under the land.
In customary water tenure, orally...
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This article outlines some of the difficulties associated with valuing cultural heritage. They include the surmountable problems of pricing cultural heritage and the associated market failures inherent in all water systems. Critical to any attempt to value cultural heritage is the need to quantify exactly what cultural heritage encompasses. While the theoretical concept of economic value is a relatively simple one, applying it to cultural heritage can only be accomplished if it is well defined.
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Water consumption and freshwater supplies are unevenly shared worldwide, while droughts and floods as extreme climate events are becoming more common. Water challenges cannot be addressed by technical means only. We must reflect on the trade-offs between economic and environmental concerns, and identify which water-related risks to prioritize. Thus, water ethics become an important analytical key in posing two critical questions: what values are at stake when we address the world’s water challenges, and who is affected by these water challenges? This links to questions of responsibility:...
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Adding Place to Balance People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership (toward 6Ps of SDGs): The Dutch landscape contains unique elements resulting from both natural processes and human interventions. To truly understand the Dutch water system, we need to consider how human interventions have impacted it throughout history. This is especially important when it comes to addressing current water challenges as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the SDGs are not just isolated goals. They should be perceived as interdependent spheres of action, with...
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The effects of climate change can evoke fear and a sense of apocalypse. Invoking the apocalypse in discourse about the future, however, can lead to denial or fatalism. This article considers the concept of hope as an attitude and ritual practice that defies the dichotomy between secular and religious. Practicing hope, trust and empathy can stimulate dialogue and cooperation around climate change and upcoming water challenges. The article discusses a case study of a learning exchange between South Africa and the Netherlands on hope regarding climate change and water.
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Considering three examples of rivers in Europe, this article examines how ecological grief can trigger environmental discourses and awareness concerning the UN SDGs. We define heritage as a cultural practice involved in constructing and negotiating a range of values and understandings through engagement between people, things and places. Among humans, nature can be mourned and the emotions of loss, sadness and yearning can inspire activism. Organizing funerals for nature has become an important element of mourning the death of “loved ones” and fighting for their revival, thus drawing the...
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Stone tidal weirs are not just relics of the past; they also serve as a guide to future sustainable marine ecological conservation. They symbolize the ability of humans to adapt, use, and live in balance and harmony with the ocean environment. Situated along intertidal or coastal zones, these stone tidal weirs are on the frontline of climate impact and are often abandoned as the local community cannot afford the costs of repair. This has led to loss of this valuable traditional resource management system that contributes to tangible and intangible heritage of coastal communities, as well...
methodologies and case studies
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Today, urban territories are under pressure to accommodate all the needs of growing cities. New designs and approaches are needed that build on historical developments and respond to the shifting and overlapping needs of water, cities and their territories. Due to these inexhaustible demands, it is often common to overlook sustainable development and heritage. However, diagrammatic analysis such as the canvas approach can help us understand how people have changed cities and institutions over time and allows us to consider complex economic, political, social and cultural interactions....
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To analyze traditional water systems and their development over time, researchers I. Bobbink and M. Ryu developed the so-called Illustrative Method in 2017 based on former water systems studies. The method visualizes connections between spatial, social, and cultural aspects of water systems in a standardized way. It provides insight into unique local patterns, forms the foundation for comparative analysis and can ultimately inform the creation of new water systems for future sustainable development.
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The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Quick Scan Method is a methodology that can be used in workshops to foster multi-stakeholder collaboration and a holistic understanding of a context and its challenges. The HUL Quick Scan Method was conducted in three phases in Muntok and Banjarmasin, Indonesia, and demonstrated its efficacy in promoting heritage and socio-cultural practices as catalysts for sustainable development. The features of the workshops run in the two cities stimulated discussion among the local community and including private and public sectors, establishing a basis for...
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The history of the Sztoła River in Poland provides important insight into how the industrial use of a river can ultimately lead to the disappearance of the water source, the river itself, affecting culture and everyday practices in local communities. It is an example of negative heritage, where the preservation of surface water is neglected as it does not match official narratives of the local mining traditions and social values. Because the river is not considered an important component of local culture, decision makers expected that the local community would accept the ‘‘liquidation of...
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The qanat system exploits groundwater aquifers in arid and semi-arid regions with the help of local water facilities and infrastructure. The system originated in Iran’s central plateau and then spread widely around the world, from the Middle East and Eastern Asia to Europe, North Africa and even South America. This historic water system, which reduces costs and energy consumption, offers a model of how humans can connect to their environment in a completely sustainable way. This system not only satisfies human water needs but does so without depleting natural resources. The relationship...
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This case study sheds light on potential ways of embedding water-related heritage in an integrated strategy of sustainable urban development in Bergen, Norway. Particular attention is paid to the ongoing Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) process in Bergen, which was started in 2019 to assess potential impacts of Bergen’s new transport strategy on the World Heritage site. Various HIA reports have been compiled and discussed with Bergen’s planning authorities, other experts and in a public hearing process. The municipality of Bergen has used the HIA to reconcile the preservation of the...
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The Fairmount Water Works of Philadelphia has many stories to tell that span its rich 200-year history. It speaks to the history of technology in America, urban water systems, public health and civic architecture. Although struggling with the increasing impact of climate change, it still has a significant role to play today as a heritage site and as an iconic expression of architectural beauty, civic pride, environmental education and protection and the stewardship of water for all.
