Reviving Ancestral Hydro-Technologies to Tackle the Climate, Health, and Food Crisis

In line with the SureNexus meeting the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability organized the International Conference on Ancestral Hydro-technologies as a Response to the Climate, Health and Food Emergency in the Mediterranean, focusing on the “Use of Cultural Heritage for the Rescue of the Future”, to be held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, from 16 to 17 February 2023.

This hybrid conference was attended by SureNexus partners, who had a very active role by chairing sessions, presenting case studies and projects, and leading the panel discussions. It brought together water professionals, water institutions, national and local authorities, and academia to discuss the potential of ancestral hydro-technologies as integrated solutions for adaptation and transformation. 50 specialists from 21 countries and different fields of knowledge, met in Barcelona, from 16 to 17 February 2023. 29 good practices were presented, recognizing the value and the potential of ancestral hydrotechnologies to respond to the current global emergencies (climate, biodiversity, water scarcity, health and food).

The conference was hosted by the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability of the Polytechnical University of Catalonia (UPC) and co-convened by the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO and the Global Network of Water Museums (WAMU-NET) of UNESCO. It is supported by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITERD) of Spain, the Dept. of External Action of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council, and MedCites.

More details about the conference can be found on the conference’s website.