Water and Cultural Diversity

Water is the essential lifeblood of our planet, with the power to generate, sustain, receive and ultimately unify life.

What is… Water?

The French call it eau, but in Greek it is hydros, in Latin, aqua, in Spanish, agua, while the Japanese call it mizu and the Nepalese refer to it as the nectar of life. Indigenous peoples such as the Gitxsan say aks, while the Yorta Yorta say walla, and the Guarani use y to say water. Peoples around the world have a rich diversity of terms and concepts related to water; however, they all share a common understanding about the urgency of thirst. The movement and ubiquity of water create a common connection, a shared reliance on this unique basic element of existence. Water is a primal human need and desire that flows through all boundaries, definitions and beliefs.

Why is cultural diversity important for water?

The increasing demand for water and complexity of issues surrounding water require an integrated, transdisciplinary approach to water resource management. In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) under the tremendous pressures that the world is currently facing, the integration of human dimensions into water resource management and policy development is vital.

Water, Cultural Diversity and Global Environmental Change: Emerging Trends, Sustainable Futures?
1 - 3 October 2009, Kyoto, Japan

The objective of this international symposium is to encourage global recognition of, and respect for, cultural diversity in water resources management, in order to facilitate collaborative actions for sustainability of water and cultures. The symposium is part of a series of activities that have been implemented on the topic, most notably public sessions held in the past four World Water Forums. The symposium will be held as an activity of the UNESCO-IHP Project on Water and Cultural Diversity, whose objective is to contribute to the achievement of MDG 7: “ensure environmental sustainability” by mainstreaming cultural diversity in water resources management.

During the symposium, various case studies from all world regions and cultures will be presented. These case studies will be presented by experts who represent a variety of backgrounds, disciplines and knowledge systems pertaining to water, thus making the symposium targeted not simply towards academics but also appealing to practitioners and the general public interested in water and cultural issues. The case studies will demonstrate the ways in which culture affects, and is affected by, the myriad interactions between people and water, thereby highlighting the importance of cultures in bringing forth solutions to water problems and the sustainability of these solutions. By bringing together various institutions and experts and by taking an integrated and transdisciplinary approach, the symposium will consolidate suggestions on ways to incorporate cultural diversity concerns into watershed management and water resource development. This will constitute a substantial step towards development of culturally sensitive studies and policies on water.

A related art exhibition will be presented at the venue, consisting of work submitted by youth and artists in response to a call for contributions to two books on the topic, which are also a product of the UNESCO-IHP project.

 

Related links:
::  Database and Community of Practice (More)
::  UNESCO "Water and Cultural Diversity" project (More)

• Source:UNESCO SC
• 28-09-2009