This week, to mark World Water Day, which takes place on 22 March, we at FUNPASOS are presenting THE SOURCE – Guardians of the Source, a European project that aims to rethink the relationship between citizenship, heritage and sustainable water management in the context of climate change.
Against a backdrop of growing pressure on water resources and the need to foster greater environmental awareness, THE SOURCE approaches water management from an innovative perspective, viewing it not only as an essential natural resource, but also as a cultural, social and community element. The project proposes that cultural heritage should become a tool for understanding sustainability, encouraging public participation and strengthening the bond between people and their environment.
The initiative focuses on the historic fountains found in European towns and cities, spaces that for centuries served as places for community gathering and organisation centred around water. Many of these fountains, now forgotten or underused, preserve shared histories, practices and memories that form part of local identity. With THE SOURCE, we aim to revitalise them not merely as heritage features for contemplation, but as vibrant civic spaces capable of fostering learning, dialogue and collective action.
Through participatory methodologies, educational activities and collaborative creative processes, the project fosters new forms of public engagement in the care of water and the local environment. Its ultimate aim is to promote the creation of a European network of ‘Guardians of the Spring’, comprising communities capable of rethinking their relationship with water and taking local, collective action to protect it as both cultural heritage and an essential resource for the future.
With this initiative, FUNPASOS is joining in the celebration of the World Water Day highlighting the role of citizens and cultural heritage as key drivers in moving towards more sustainable and resilient societies capable of facing today’s climate challenges.
