Interreg Euro-MED WatHer project revives centuries-old Water Heritage Systems (WHS) as a modern solution to drought in rural Mediterranean areas. The project restores traditional canals, ponds, and irrigation ditches – long neglected but proven to capture and store water sustainably.

In selected pilot sites, Water Heritage Systems are mapped, restored, and monitored using a mix of field knowledge and modern tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and environmental sensors. Action plans are co-designed with local communities, blending ancestral techniques with today’s ecological standards.

To ensure uptake, the project delivers training guidelines, engages local actors through seminars and consultations, and builds a joint strategy for water heritage systems reuse. Through transnational cooperation – within the Global Network of Water Museums – these methods will be carried across borders, turning field-tested heritage into a shared Mediterranean resource.

The lead partner of the project is Politecnico di Milano (IT), and the project partners are University of Padova (IT), University of Granada (ES), University of Algarve (PT), IN LOCO Association (PT), OTRA – Island Development Agency Ltd (HR), BSC – Business support centre Ltd, Kranj (SI), Cyprus University of Technology (CY), Laona Foundation for the Conservation and Regeneration of the Cypriot Countryside (CY), Selenica Municipality (AL), Chambre d’agriculture des Bouches-du-Rhône (FR) and Terres en villes (FR).