The 6th Conference of the Global Network of Water Museums, titled “Adapting to Climate Change. The Role of Museums in Promoting New Water Uses for Resilient Futures”, will take place in Brasilia, Brazil, from the 6th to the 8th of November, and close one day before the start of COP30 in Belém
(10-21 November).
Climate change poses threats and critical water challenges for all of us, but it also presents opportunities. Adaptation to climate change is not only about responding to crises but also about proactively shaping a more resilient future. This is about the adjustments made by individuals, communities, and institutions to mitigate negative impacts while capitalising on the opportunities presented by new environmental conditions.
The 6th WAMU-NET Conference will explore adaptation strategies to climate change with a particular focus on the role of museums, local communities and cultural institutions. Faced with mounting water scarcity, extreme weather events, and increasingly fragile ecosystems, museums are uniquely placed to promote education, dialogue, and collective action to build a new ‘culture of water’.
Particular attention will be given to community-based museums and eco-museums, which, rooted in local participation, are increasingly active in water governance. In addition to presentations, roundtable discussions, interactive sessions and networking activities, the conference will offer the opportunity to take free guided tours and technical visits to the host city.
Hosted in the prestigious National Theater of Brasilia, one of the historic symbols of the city designed by the notorious architect Oscar Niemeyer, this year’s conference is organised with the support of ADASA (Federal District Water, Energy and Sanitation Regulatory Agency) and CAESB, in cooperation with other partners. In this unique venue, the conference will highlight Brazil’s water challenges and the development of MINA – the International Water Memorial conceived by Niemeyer as a reference point for water education on a global scale.
During the conference, we will announce the winners of “Back to Our Future,” the Water Film Prize organized with Let's Talk About Water, alongside the screening of the winners which will take place in Belém as part of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30). For those interested in attending COP30, where a small delegation of water museums will be travelling, useful information will be available shortly.
While the COP30 takes place the week after in Belém, Brazil, this gathering of WAMU-NET members offers a timely occasion to align cultural, educational, and scientific initiatives with global climate agendas from the perspective of education and cultural practice. Ultimately, the 6th WAMU-NET International Conference will inspire participants to take action with new narratives and reference models in a changing water world.
Programme Outline
Day 0 - Tuesday 4 November
City tour of Brasilia
Day 1 - Wednesday 5 November
- Opening Session – Welcome Speeches
- Session 1: Adapting to Climate Change. Threats and Opportunities
- Guided visit to the Exhibition ‘The Water We Want”
- Session 2: The Memorial Internacional da Agua ‘MINA’ – An Educational Project for the United Nations of Water Museums in Brasilia, Brazil
- Session 3: Water Cloud: Educational Online Repository for Water Museums
Poster Session 1 ‘Water Sustainability Education’
Day 2 - Thursday 6 November
- Session 4: The Contribution of Museums to Water Governance and Sustainable Development in the Face of Climate Change. The Role of Local Communities to Safeguard and Promote Ancient Hydro-Technologies (AHTs) and Water Cultures
- Roundtable “Shaping the Transition Towards Resilient Futures with the Support of Local Communities”
- Let’s Talk About COP30 – Letters Sent by WAMU-NET Members to the Presidency of COP30
- Poster Session no.2 “Preserving Water Heritage in Response to Climate Change”
- Awarding Ceremony – Water Film Prize “Back to Our Future” - In cooperation with Let’s Talk About Water, NY
Day 3 - Friday 7 November
- General Assembly of the Global Network of Water Museums
Building Cultural Bridges and Peace through Water Heritage in an Era of Growing Conflicts
Liquid evidences from the 5th WAMU-NET Conference in Porto
Proposal for a new WAMU-NET Charter: designing the network ‘phase 2’
Contributions from WAMU-NET members and presentation of new members
- The contribution of the regional network of water museums in Latin America and the Caribbean to WAMU-NET
Technical Cultural Visit
Day 4 - Saturday 8th November
City Tour of Brasilia
For inquiries, please contact:
Irene Leonardelli, info@watermuseums.net, and copy in 6thconference.brasilia@adasa.df.gov.br
Download the Preliminary Conference Programme
Download the Registration Form (PDF file)
Download the Registration Form (Word file)
Photo above: Oscar Niemeyer: “The MINA will be an architectural jewel of Brasilia located on the Paranoa lake”