International Hydrological Programme

Project on water and cultural diversity

Highlighting the cultural and social factors of water sciences and management

The project on Water and Cultural Diversity aims to mainstream social and cultural components into water sciences and management to ensure sustainability of water resources and cultures. The project reflects UNESCO’s vision of water: sustainable management of water is as much cultural as it is technical.

The increasing demand for water and complexity of issues surrounding water require an integrated, transdisciplinary approach to water resource management. In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals under the tremendous pressures that the world is currently facing, integration of human dimensions into water resource management and policy development is vital.


News & Meetings


The database and Community of Practice on water and cultural diversity launched: please visit www.waterandculturaldiversity.org.


International Symposium "Water, Cultural Diversity and Global Environmental Change: Emerging Trends, Sustainable Futures?" will take place in Kyoto, Japan, 1-3 October 2009. The objective of this international symposium is to encourage global recognition of, and respect for, cultural diversity in water resources management, in order to facilitate collaborative actions for sustainability of water and cultures.


Our goals


Contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 7 “ensure environmental sustainability” by:
Recognizing and respecting cultural diversity and interweaving various perspectives towards collaborative and inclusive actions for sustainability of water and cultures.


Our strategy


  • provide a database of publications, case-studies and other resources on people’s relationships to water, including a directory of organisations, institutions and experts working on water and cultural diversity
  • create a platform for communication and information exchange
  • formulate guidelines and methodologies on how to introduce cultural dimensions into water management

Read more about the concept for the database and the community of practice.


Focal areas


  • Diversity of cultural meanings, values and perceptions of water
  • Cultural practices and technologies that affect water
  • Social, cultural, political and institutional aspects that govern water use
  • Collaboration and conflict related to uses, access and control over water

Find out more about the project on ‘water and cultural diversity’

If you would like more information or would like to be involved in this new initiative, please contact Lisa Hiwasaki