Preservation and Change Webinar: Water Heritage in Comparative Perspective

Organised by:

• Global Network of Water Museums
• LDE Center for Global Heritage and Development
• International Water History Association

  The importance of water for humankind has never been doubted. Water has featured in many societal domains, from policy development to engineering, and from archaeology to the natural sciences and the creative arts. Two parallel focus points have recently arisen. First, the importance of sharing the multiple facets of water with societies through dedicated water museums has grown. Second, the attention to water-related heritage, tangible and intangible, has increased, both by scholars and practitioners (and policy-makers?). Obviously, water museums do much more than heritage display and/or management, as they bring history and science alive. The way museums do this is different: some museums are built around physical water infrastructure and/or entities (canals, rivers), others tell a story (floods, cultural manifestations). Some are on one location, some are set in the digital world with storytelling and multi-media, some are networks linking existing artefacts and activities. These different ways could allow us to find better, more just and sustainable solutions towards water futures.     The debate will focus on two questions:

• What counts as water? Is it the fluid, the artefacts, the stories, etcetera?
• How do we deal with change? Heritage and exhibitions aim to preserve, but water (systems) change.

  Practicalities:

• Registered participants will receive a link to the webinar 10 minutes before it starts.
• Please register at waterhistory2020@tudelft.nl