World Water Day

Water and Heritage: Connecting Past, Present and Future

Water is a source of life, a driver of cultural meaning, and a shaper of places and practices. From historic waterworks and sacred springs to cultural landscapes and community traditions, water has sustained cities, inspired rituals, and shaped human settlement long before modern infrastructure.

On World Water Day, ICOMOS Lebanon highlights the cultural values of water — as the foundation of historic infrastructures, as inspiration for living traditions, and as a defining force in the landscapes that form part of our shared heritage.

Safeguarding heritage means safeguarding the water that sustains it. The legacies of the past depend on how we manage and protect water today — for communities, for cultural identity, and for future generations.