From all over Europe, from Iceland to Poland and Sweden, and from Norway to Spain, to Serbia and the UK, representatives of Europe’s lakes, seas, rivers and glaciers confluenced for the second edition of the Confluence of European Water Bodies 2024 at Ocean Space, Venice. Over 50 academics, lawyers, artists, ecologists and policy makers gathered here from 3 – 6 October 2024, with the aim to exchange, experience and learn about water representation.
Learning system for water diplomacy
The Confluence of European Water Bodies is founded as an interdisciplinary research, support system and campaign for the representation of water in Europe. Born out of growing water challenges and demands for water democracy worldwide, the Confluence of European Water Bodies sprang from a collective pursuit of a deeper and cricital understanding of the ‘Rights of Nature’ in Europe. As a learning system for water diplomacy, new strategies for effectively representing water in Europe’s cultural, legal and political realms are being explored, rehearsed and advocated. The water bodies community converged for the first time in September 2023 at the shores of the saltwater lagoon the Mar Menor in Spain. Being the first European ecosystem with legal personhood, this fragile and severely contaminated ecosystem became an example and inspiration for nature protection in Europe.
Have a look here for more info about the confluence 2023.
The Confluence of European Water Bodies 2024 was generously hosted by TBA21-Academy, Ocean Space, the Italian Buddhist Union and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice: NICHE. After a full three days with academic legal and artistic panels, a water bodies concert, field trips, an assembly with local activists, a grief circle and ceremonies, we returned home, fuelled and inspired to continue our local fights for water representation. How empowering to mobilise with grass roots initiatives to learn about Europe’s various modes of activism for nature protection, creating ceremonies to weave strong relationships with human ánd non human water bodies, and to rehearse new narratives for an ecological and intergenerational politics. We look forward to next year’s edition!
Participating water bodies 2024
Akerselva, Baltic Sea, Doggerbank, Drina, Genova waters, Klarälven, Loire, Mar Menor, Mediterranean, North Sea, Ouse, Pek, Piave, Reuss, Rhône, Snæfellsjökul, Spree, Tara, Tejo, Vättern, Venice lagoon, Viskan, Vistula, Wattenmeer and Zenne.
Learn more about the water bodies here. Learn more about the representatives here.
Thanks to all our partners!
The Confluence of European Water Bodies is founded by the Embassy of the North Sea, ILP Mar Menor and TBA21–Academy. The edition 2024 is supported by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice: NICHE (THE NEW INSTITUTE Center for Environmental Humanities), GARN (Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature), the Italian Buddhist Union, Sea Shepherd, Creative Industries Fund NL and Venice Climate Change Pavilion.