On Monday, October 27, 2025, the kick-off meeting of the European project WatHer took place in Granada, Spain. The project brings together partners from across the Mediterranean to revive centuries-old Water Heritage Systems (WHS) as innovative, sustainable solutions to drought in rural areas.
Kick-off Meeting of the European Project WatHer in Granada, Spain
During the meeting, partners discussed the project’s objectives, pilot activities, and implementation strategy. WatHer focuses on restoring traditional canals, ponds, and irrigation ditches – historical infrastructures that once ensured water security in Mediterranean landscapes. By combining traditional knowledge with modern tools such as GIS mapping and environmental sensors, the project seeks to create a new model for community-led water management and climate resilience.
The kick-off meeting marked an important first step in strengthening transnational cooperation and setting the foundation for the restoration and awareness activities that will unfold across the pilot sites in the coming months.
The lead partner of the project is Politecnico di Milano – Department of Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering (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).
“Traditional irrigation systems can provide a great solution for mitigating climate change, which is our current problem.”
