Water History Conference

Dear delegate

On behalf of the local organising committee I would like to invite you to the Biennial Conference of the International Water History Association, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, 29 June – 1 July 2022. We are looking forward to welcome you in Stellenbosch, the “wine capital” and oldest town in South Africa.

The 2022 IWHA conference will be hosted by the Stellenbosch University Water Institute. The conference will provide you the opportunity to share research results, experiences, challenges, and innovative solutions with colleagues from around the world on the burning issue of severe regional drought conditions, water shortages and critical problems in meeting the demand for water and sanitary services in cities and rural areas experienced as a result of climate change.

This conference aims to bring together specialist water historians, sociologists, political scientists, civil engineers and scientists, as well as water sector experts in academia and professional water sector leaders and researchers to discuss the serious issue of water shortages of Anthropogenic climate change.

The 2022 IWHA conference will be held for the third time on the African continent, in Stellenbosch, 50km from Cape Town, South Africa’s multicultural melting pot with its rich history. South Africa, and Stellenbosch in particular, is rapidly taking its place as a prime scientific destination of choice as a result of the science and technology innovations and research being undertaken here on an interconnective global scale. South Africa also offers the discerning tourist an exciting mix of tourist and entertainment possibilities. Visitors will find Cape Town and the surrounding Western Cape, where Stellenbosch is situated, a vibrant, trendy, sophisticated, well-connected and stunningly attractive modern metropole with top tourist attractions and nature reserve areas to visit.

The local organising committee are looking forward to welcome you at the 2022 Biennial Conference of the International Water History Association in Stellenbosch, South Africa!

Sincerely yours,
Wessel Visser (Convenor, loc)
Johann Tempelhoff
Willem de Clercq

Water History in Delft, June 24-26 2020 CANCELLED

Long time friend of the IWHA, Maurits Ertsen writes:

As we all know, the serious, worldwide concern about the COVID-19 virus has already forced many to take measures concerning meetings. I am afraid that our upcoming water history meeting is not different from these other meetings. Although the Dutch government and Delft University of Technology have so far only ruled out meetings until June 1, it is by no means certain that after that date meetings will be allowed. Organizing one now is rather difficult too. Furthermore, many people are still restricted in arranging their travel.
Therefore, I have to announce that the water history meeting 2020 in Delft will be cancelled. I sincerely apologize, but I do not see how any other decision could be possible.

Given the continuing global and local uncertainties, there are no plans to postpone the meeting to the fall. In addition, there will be the regular IWHA water history meeting in July 2021 to look forward to as well. This obviously means that the registration fee for those that have registered will be reimbursed. I will arrange the necessary steps for that.

We were all looking forward to meeting each other in person and attending many conference presentations. The program committee has discussed what we could still do with the scholarship and the energy of you all, and we would like to propose a few activities.

1.We plan to have a virtual session on water heritage and museums, in a cooperative effort of the water resources group of Delft University, the LDE Centre for Global Heritage and Development, and IHE-Water Institute in Delft. Information about the event will be shared with you later, but it is planned to take place on Wednesday June 24.

2.Both myself and Ellen Arnold, editors of Water History, the journal, would like to invite you to submit your conference paper as a short regular article (we have been looking for shorter pieces at the advice of our journal manager) or for possible inclusion as a special issue that will serve as a forum for short papers (2000 words, likely due in June). We haven’t worked out all the details about length and submission process for that yet, but are starting to see who might be interested in such a forum. Would you be interested? Please let us know soon!

3.What I would like to organize is a series of shorter virtual meetings in the fall, perhaps building up to the WH issue that will include the short papers. Obviously, online meeting is not the same as meeting in a physical place, but we all know that it makes sense to enlarge our meeting options that do not depend on travelling too much. We might take this unfortunate moment to start a regular series of virtual meetings on water history. Please let me know if you would be interested in presenting at such a meeting.

If you have any questions concerning your possible contribution or other issues, please do not hesitate to approach me on waterhistory2020@tudelft.nl. I am sure we will meet in person in a future setting to share our joined interest in water history.

Kind regards,

Maurits Ertsen