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UNESCO: Traditional Irrigation in Val Venosta inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage

ROME, DECEMBER 11 – The UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee, gathered in Botswana, has inscribed the transnational element ‘Traditional Irrigation: Knowledge, Technique, and Organization’ of Val Venosta in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Austria leads the new inscription, with the participation of Italy, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

The Committee has also approved the extension of the Transhumance element to Albania, Andorra, Croatia, France, Luxembourg, Romania, and Spain. Transhumance was previously inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2019 as a transnational element involving Austria, Greece, and Italy.

“The submersion irrigation of the meadows on the Landa di Malles is a centuries-old agricultural technique that still retains all its effectiveness and charm today,” explained Claudia Plaikner, president of the federation with the goal of preserving the cultural and natural landscape of South Tyrol. The focus is on the nearly 400 hectares of extensive agriculture on the Landa di Malles, located between Burgusio and Lake San Valentino, which are still traditionally irrigated through the submersion technique and the four irrigation channels known as Largin, Magrins, Töschg, and Nuiwaal.

The submersion of individual parcels occurs at regular intervals following a meticulous rotation system, the so-called ‘Road.’ This traditional irrigation method, using a network of ditches known as ‘Waale,’ involves transporting water from upstream catchment areas to cultivated meadows located further downstream. Thanks to the use of temporary wooden barriers, the water flow is blocked, causing it to overflow and cover the underlying meadows.

“The agricultural practice of flooding the meadows is not a museum or nostalgic endeavor but a functional technique still effectively used today, just as it was centuries ago,” says Plaikner. “This type of irrigation requires a detailed understanding of the terrain’s morphology, promotes natural soil fertilization, and exhibits a high biodiversity of flora and fauna.”

An official ceremony to celebrate the event is scheduled for the end of May 2024 in Alta Val Venosta, within a three-day international event involving all seven countries recognized. For South Tyrol, this marks the second inclusion in the list, following the recognition of transhumance practices in Val Senales. (@OnuItalia)

OnuItalia
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Il giornale Italiano delle Nazioni Unite. Ha due redazioni, una a New York, l’altra a Roma.

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