Cultural history as a source of knowledge for stress tests

The majority of our cities and water systems were formed in the Middle Ages. Obviously, a lot has changed since: roads have been relocated, watercourses have been overarched or filled in, fortifications have been demolished, whilst the post-war housing tasking entailed major spatial changes. Traditionally, soil and water have played a key role in the choices to be made. These old systems still play an important part. Consequently, knowledge of the past provides both insight into water systems and points of departure for potential solutions.

Cultural-historical knowledge is essential to gain a clear picture of both bottlenecks and opportunities in climate stress tests. This step-by-step plan shows how this works: 1) conducting map analyses, 2) unraveling the overall water management system, 3) utilising local knowledge, and 4) conducting a risk dialogue focused on the discussion of creative solutions.

The step-by-step plan (pdf, 769 kB) features several practical examples and references to relevant source material.