Traditional irrigation: A new Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

After dry stone walls, another infrastructure of terraced landscapes is in the focus of UNESCO: The submission titled “Traditional Irrigation: Knowledge, Technique, and Organization,” representing seven countries, was presented in March 2022 for consideration on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On December 5, 2023, this cultural element was officially inscribed on the list, recognizing its importance in preserving traditional irrigation practices. The UNESCO Committee had already inscribed “Art of dry-stone walling, knowledge and techniques” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 28 November 2018.