Intangible heritage and sustainable development

Water management

We are increasingly confronted with drought and salinization, whilst at the same time also with rewetting and flooding. Techniques such as grassland irrigation or the management of watermill landscapes can be inspiring.

Biodiversity

The disappearance of species and varieties poses a real threat to the planet. Practices such as hedge laying and weaving and beekeeping can have a positive impact on biodiversity.

Soil

Problems such as soil impoverishment or over-fertilization are all too common. Here too, many heritage practices are a possible part of the solution. We will start working on this theme in the fall of 2024.

The 'Water and Land' project focuses on three current challenges that are closely related: water management, biodiversity and soil fertility.

We investigate how intangible heritage can be a lever for ecological sustainability. We do this together with heritage communities in Flanders and the Netherlands that contribute to a sustainable future with their inspiring heritage practices. We look at knowledge and craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation that promotes a climate-robust and ecologically rich landscape, but also at traditions and customs related to water and land.

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