WATER: CURSE OR BLESSING!?
Building a Future Planet
This theme explores new ways of thinking around water in relation to spatial planning and the built environment.
Concept
WATER: CURSE OR BLESSING?! is an international, interdisciplinary long-term programme involving ANCB’s network to explore new ways of thinking around water in relation to spatial planning and the built environment. Through various formats, ANCB aims to highlight ecologically sustainable water-related projects, designs and urban developments, that also consider the objective of restoring a social
and economic balance with a better socio-economic coherence through water- wise management. This includes the distribution of water, safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation for healthy cities, water in relation to food production and food-security, energy and biodiversity as well as valuing water for sustainable environmental, urban and economic developments. ANCB will also invite experts
to discuss the role of water for climate action: from carbon sinks and minimising footprints to adaptation and resilience in the context of cities, economies and islands, as common good and from source to the sea.
In times of global uncertainties, various crises and scarcity of resources have become major challenges. Responses developed and implemented now might help mitigate the climate disaster and a global battle for an inclusive and sustainable living environment. An international shift in politics, policies and planning objectives is essential to keep the consumption of natural resources within the regenerative capacity of ecosystems and planetary boundaries and to reduce the impact of urban life. This includes transforming single-focused, siloed and sectoral approaches into inclusive, comprehensive,
circular and sustainable ones. With longer periods of unprecedented droughts, rising sea levels threatening communities, floods spreading across the globe an unequal distribution, water plays a decisive role. As element, resource and infrastructure, it
has a wide-spread impact on the living-, natural- and built environment that cannot be underestimated. This is mirrored in a growing sense of responsibility among architects, urbanists and planners worldwide to use their knowledge to develop designs and models taking water as opportunity and threat into account.
”We are dealing with global challenges related to water and urbanisation. Growing cities heavily impact the surrounding environments and exert heavy pressure on water resources within the proximity of cities. Additionally, agricultural, domestic, and industrial activities contribute to the pollution of water bodies.
Philipp MisselwitzChair of Habitat Unit, Department for International Urbanism and Design, TU Berlin Symposium: PolyUrbanWaters, 2021
