Blog

The two Cypriot partners of the WatHer (Water Heritage) project, viz. the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and the Laona Foundation for the Conservation and Regeneration of the Cypriot Countryside, held a working meeting to coordinate actions and plan their nexts steps.

The discussion focused on:
– Planning the forthcoming activities in Cyprus,
– Strengthening collaboration between the two teams, and
– Ensuring effective dissemination and communication of the project’s actions.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Athos Agapiou, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Stylianos Hadjipetrou, Research Associate, from the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics at CUT. Representing the Laona Foundation were Costas Orountiotis Deputy Director, Eleni Panayiotou Research Officer, Marina Constantinou Project Officer, and Anastasia Mina Communications Officer.

The 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, WHS are mapped, restored, and monitored using a mix of field knowledge and modern tools such as Geographic Information System (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 WHS 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 project is led by the Politecnico di Milano (Italy). Other partners are: University of Padova (Italy), University of Granada | Universidad de Granada (Spain), University of Algarve | Universidade do Algarve UAlg (Portugal), IN LOCO Association | Associação In Loco (Portugal), OTRA – Island Development Agency Ltd (Croatia), BSC – Business Support Centre Ltd., Kranj (Slovenia), Cyprus University of Technology / Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου (Cyprus), Laona Foundation Ίδρυμα Λαόνα (Cyprus), Selenica Municipality Bashkia Selenicë Faqja Zyrtare (Albania), The Agricultural Chamber of the Administrative area of Bouches-du-Rhône (France) and Terres en villes (France).