Modern Water Management and the Challenges of Climate Change at the World Heritage Property Upper Harz Water Management System

The Upper Harz Water Management System is an outstanding example of effective water management over the centuries. Through historical development and adaptive change over centuries, a multifunctional system has evolved that remains in active use today. Since the site’s UNESCO designation as a World Heritage property in 2010, continuous monitoring and maintenance have been integral to its management. In recent years, challenges arising from climate change and safety-related hydraulic engineering issues, as well as financial constraints, have put the monument under increasing pressure. With the common goal of ensuring that the historic elements and their operation continue to contribute to a wide range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide essential public services in the future, changes are necessary. World Heritage management that incorporates the importance of water management is therefore essential, just as, conversely, the World Heritage and the monument play a supporting role and basis for the management of water in the Upper Harz Water Management System.