Memory, Place, and Community in Global Water Systems Working Group

The Sustainable Water Future Programme (WATER FUTURE) is a global research platform with expertise and innovation in water research, policy, security and sustainability.Building upon more than a decade of water-related research under the Global Water System Project, WATER FUTURE provides the knowledge and support to accelerate transformations to a more sustainable “water world."

Memory, Place, and Community in Global Water Systems working Group will implement the first phases of the Museum of the Anthropocene (a project of the Rivers of the Anthropocene network), which creates experimental and interactive experiences that transform knowledge, attitudes, practices, and values about water and related global environmental systems. This group will create a series of global, networked exhibitions focused on water.

Objectives

To educate and encourage all members of society to transform their behavior to create healthier and more resilient environments and practices.
To generate data about cultural values and beliefs that shape our behavior in relation to water environments.
To assess and evaluate the effectiveness of new forms of public engagement in transforming public knowledge, attitudes, practices, and values about global environmental systems.

Activities

In its first year, the team will focus on establishing and organizing the Working Group; identifying topics, themes, and locations for Museum of the Anthropocene exhibitions; developing experimental Museum of the Anthropocene sites and project prototypes; and pursuing funding to support the implementation of the first global Museum of the Anthropocene exhibition during our second year. To achieve this, the Working Group will meet monthly via a videoconference. The members of the Working Group will also be invited to attend a Museum of the Anthropocene Workshop focused on planning the first global exhibition. The Working Group will produce several collaborative outputs through these meetings:

Museum of the Anthropocene exhibition guidelines that align with its mission as well as anthropological and museological best practices
Criteria for collecting data about sociocultural change
A user assessment instrument for constructing a training webinar for Museum of the Anthropocene sites around the globe.