At the Global Network of Water Museums, we are committed to advocating for the importance of freshwater every single day. But on March 22nd, we come together with the world to mark World Water Day – the United Nations' annual occurrence to celebrate water and shed light on the global water crisis. From championing water conservation to ensuring fair access to clean water and promoting sustainable water management practices, we believe these are the keystones of our shared future.
This year, World Water Day aims to highlight how effective water management can foster peace, showcasing innovative strategies to enhance cooperation and prevent conflicts over water resources. Members of the Global Network of Water Museums are at the forefront of water conservation efforts, implementing innovative programmes, exhibitions, and educational initiatives to raise awareness and empower communities to become stewards of water resources.
In our special newsletter published today, we are thrilled to showcase the diverse projects and impactful work our members are undertaking around the world to mark WWD.
If you would like to share with us how you are commemorating World Water Day, tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #WWDWamunet. Or spread the word by sharing this newsletter with your network and becoming an ambassador for water awareness education!
WAMU-NET at the UN Celebration in Paris Headquarters
WAMU-NET is set to take part in the UN celebration at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, within the context of The Walk of Water, one of the official programme's highlights. On this occasion, a promotional video of The Water We Want – WAMU-NET's Youth Contest and Award – will be showcased.
Launched during the UN 2023 Water Conference, The ‘Walk of Water: An Intergenerational Journey’ (WoW) is an example of how art, culture and science can be used to share clear messages on the state of the world’s water as it illustrates past, present and future perspectives of freshwater. The artistic elements for the exhibition, including photos, paintings, drawings and books, have been provided by several members of the Arts Coalition for Water, including WAMU-NET.
The WoW highlights different perspectives of water across generations. It features different exhibitions combined into an overall installation, each focusing on a specific aspect of time: past, present, and future. WAMU-NET curated the first and the last.
The Past section features the installation ‘I Remember Water’, a collection of historic photographs depicting the ways in which freshwater has interacted with human society throughout history. These memories are fundamental to maintaining knowledge from the past and enriching the present and future.
The Future section is represented by ‘The Water We Want’, consisting of children’s drawings which disclose their contrasting feelings around water: the anxiety of climate change, the fear of water scarcity, and the appreciation of everything water does for them. ‘The Water We Want’ seeks to create a vision of the future of freshwater by those who are and will be most impacted by a changing climate.
How our members are marking WWD
Brazilian Water Museum
Water Month: Celebrating Life, Connecting Communities
IHE Delft, Netherlands
International Festival Fluid Interdisciplinarities
Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil
Water: Learning and Acting!
Posavje Museum Brežice, Slovenia
Women Carrying Water: Stories from Slovenian Museums
Museum of River Navigation in Battaglia Terme, Italy
Let's paint the Sail of Peace
L'Eau à Lyon et la pompe de Cornouailles (EAL), France
Water yesterday - Water tomorrow
Leonida Truta Water Museum, Romania
Air and Water – Components of the Environment
Veritas, Italy
Doors open to water
Jordanian Water Documentation and Awareness Centre (WDAC)
Women in the Jordanian Water Sector
Iurhekua Interactive Water Museum, Mexico
What is the drop that you put in?
Yellow River Museum, China
Caring about Our Mother River with Legal Protection
The National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, Cuba
On March 20, the World Water Day Day begins at the INRH. Initiatives and activities will be facilitated to promote the culture of water in our sector. A panel of experts titled “Environment and Museums. A strategic alliance for sustainable development”, will meet to share experiences that allow progress towards the New Water Culture in an inclusive and gender-sensitive way. This year, the motto “Water for Peace” reminds us that this vital liquid is not only a resource to be managed, but a symbol of life.