Retention Landscapes as a Pathway towards Regional Sovereignty
Third International Water Symposium, June 6th (18h)- 9th (16h) 2013 in Tamera
“Water, energy and nutrition can be provided for free to all human beings if we follow the logic of nature and no longer the laws of capital.” (Dieter Duhm)
Water is life. Water is information. If the large water cycle of a landscape is intact, then the land, nature, the economy and the people are flourishing. Desertification, floods, the rising sea level, forest fires and droughts are not fate but the result of a disturbed hydrological balance.
Nowadays water is dammed, deviated, privatized and turned into a commodity. One billion people on the planet are without access to clean drinking water, while others are following their profit motive. It is in our hands to change this.
The large water cycles can be restored, even in extremely damaged landscapes. All around the world, people are working on solutions for the global water crisis. They are protecting rivers, lakes and wells. While applying different methods, they are following the same principle: collecting and decelerating rain water where it falls on the earth. In this way, the earth’s body can absorb the rain water, the groundwater level rises and the land can become fertile again. The example of Tamera shows how a decentralized and natural water retention landscape can heal a disturbed landscape and create the prerequisites for modern subsistence.
For the third time, Tamera has invited experts, activists and policy makers from many countries to exchange their knowledge and to build a powerful alliance for the protection of water.
We want to focus on the plan to build a regional model in the Alentejo which is able to put a stop to the ongoing desertification in Southern Portugal and create sustainable food sovereignty. In this way, we have been able to develop a social and economical model for the world in Portugal.
We heartily invite everyone who wants to learn more about what water is and what we can all do to restore the water cycles.
Some of the topics:
- The Tamera Water Retention Landscape and other methods for water retention
- Holistic Planned Grazing
- Climate change adaptation and water management
- Water as a human right – resistance against dam building and water privatization
- Solutions for groundwater salinization
- Learning from water
With contributions by: Prof. Filipe Duarte Santos, Climate Change Adaptation, Lisbon, Dr. Millán Millán, head of CEAM (Center for Environmental Studies in the Mediterranean Foundation), Spain, John D. Liu, environmental film maker, USA/China, Bernd Müller, head of the ecology department, Tamera, Sally Silverstone, co-captain biosphere 2, USA, Sabine Lichtenfels, co-founder Tamera, Nadi Farraj, YMCA, Palestine, Paulo Mellet, Lush, UK, Jürgen Kleinwächter, inventor, Germany, Horst Wagner, inventor, Germany; Joss Brooks, Auroville, India, N.N., Savory Institute, USA (to be confirmed), Carmen and Sergio Maraschin, transition towns, Portugal (to be confirmed), N.N., Initiative for the Right of Water and Sanitation, NL (to be confirmed), Elizabeth Peredo, Fundación Solón, Bolivia (to be confirmed)
More information you can find in the brochure: “Water Retention Landscapes – A Pathway towards Regional Sovereignty” (will be constantly updated)
12min video clip: Water is Life – the Water Retention Landscape of Tamera